Dallas Sidekicks (2012)

Dallas Sidekicks

Dallas Sidekicks logo
Full name Dallas Sidekicks
Founded 2012
Stadium Allen Event Center
Allen, Texas
Ground Capacity 6,006
Owner Sidekicks Sports Management, LLC
Head Coach Simon Bozas
League Major Arena Soccer League
2015–16 Pacific Division
Website Club home page

The Dallas Sidekicks are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Allen, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. They play their home games in the Allen Event Center.[1][2] They kicked off their inaugural season as a member of the Professional Arena Soccer League on November 3, 2012.[3][4] The Sidekicks segued to the new Major Arena Soccer League for its inaugural season on October 25, 2014.

History

The team is named after the original Dallas Sidekicks that operated from 1984 to 2004.[5][6] This new team came into existence after the Allen City Council approved a lease for the Allen Event Center for Dallas Sidekicks, LLC, in April 2012.[7] Owner Ronnie Davis was awarded a franchise in the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) on May 1, 2012.[8][9][10] In July 2012, the team held open tryouts for prospective players at the Inwood Soccer Center in Addison, Texas.[11]

The Sidekicks returned to the field in November 2012 as a member of the Central Division of the PASL, playing their home games in the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas, led by general manager and head coach Tatu with assistant coaches Mike Powers and Caesar Cervin. With Tatu coaching and several veteran players from the original Sidekicks on the roster, the team's marketing slogan for the season was "We're Back!" The new team honored veteran players by retiring the #11 jersey of David Doyle and #9 jersey of Tatu.

The Sidekicks defeated the Harrisburg Heat 6–2 in their PASL debut, before a PASL single-game attendance record of 5,909.[3] The team split their regular season matches against historic rival San Diego Sockers, ending San Diego's record-setting winning streak. Dallas found their success on the field in the regular season, amassing a Central Division leading 13–3 record and qualifying for the postseason, but lost the Division Finals to the Rio Grande Valley Flash.[12] The franchise lead the league in regular season home attendance with an average of 5,041 fans per game.[13]

The Sidekicks returned to the Allen Event Center for the 2013–14 PASL season with their home opener victory over the expansion Wichita B-52s on Saturday, November 2, 2013.[12][14] The team completed its 16-game regular season with a February 16, 2014, victory over the Harrisburg Heat.[15] The team amassed a 14–2 record, placing second in the Central Division and qualifying for the playoffs. Dallas lost the Central Division Semifinal match to the Monterrey Flash, ending their post-season run. The Sidekicks also participated in the 2013–14 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer, losing to Hidalgo La Fiera in the Round of 16. The team drew well at the box office, averaging 4,002 fans per game, the third best in the PASL.

Dallas was one of 23 teams in the new Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) and hosted the debut game on October 25, 2014, with the Missouri Comets visiting the Sidekicks at the Allen Event Center. The MASL was formed when the PASL absorbed six teams from the failed MISL after the 2013–14 season. After falling to Missouri in the season opener, the team won 8 games in November and December before hitting a 4-game losing skid in January. The Sidekicks regrouped and won 6 straight before closing the regular season with a loss to the Monterrey Flash, earning a 14–6 record overall. Dallas beat Oxford City FC of Texas in the Central Division semi-final but lost to eventual league champion Monterrey in the division final. The team's 3,631 per game attendance average was sixth best in the MASL.

The Sidekicks were one of just two Texas teams to return to the MASL for 2015–16. The failure of the teams in Beaumont and Hidalgo, as well as regional rivals in Wichita and Tulsa, forced a league reorganization that placed Dallas in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. In June 2015, longtime head coach Tatu left the team, exposing financial issues with the Dallas franchise. A group of local business owners purchased the team in October 2015 and introduced a new head coach, Simon Bozas.

Year-by-year

League Champions Runners-Up Division Champions* Playoff Berth
Year League Reg. Season GF GA Pct Finish Playoffs Avg. Attendance Slogan
2012–13 PASL 13–3 140 61 .813 1st, Central Lost Divisional Finals (0-2)
vs. Rio Grande Valley Flash 		5,041 "We're Back!"
2013–14 PASL 14-2 150 68 .875 2nd, Central Lost Central Division Semifinals (0-1)
vs. Monterrey Flash 		4,002 "Amazing Happens Here"
2014–15 MASL 14-6 153 94 .700 2nd, Southern Lost Central Division Finals
vs. Monterrey Flash 		3,631
2015–16 MASL 7-13 114 134 .000 5th, Pacific Did not quality 2,211

Honors

Central Division Championships (1)

Personnel

Roster

The Sidekicks in action versus the Texas Strikers on February 23, 2013, at the Allen Event Center.
Tatu coaching the team against the Rio Grande Valley Flash on November 30, 2012.

As of October 21, 2014[16][17] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Brazil GK Sagu
2 United States DF London Woodberry
3 United States DF Michael Jones
4 United States DF Kiley Couch
7 Brazil FW Freddy Moojen
12 England DF George Williams
14 Brazil DF Fabinho
15 United States FW Cameron Brown
16 Venezuela MF Angel Rivillo
17 United States MF Kristian Quintana
19 United States MF Gustavo Piedra
20 United States DF Fernando Garza
No. Position Player
21 United States DF Dominic Schell
24 United States FW Shaun David
25 United States MF Nestor Hernandez
28 England DF Dean Lovegrove
30 Brazil FW Renato Pereira
32 England MF Jamie Lovegrove
33 United States DF Cody Ellis
37 Brazil MF Diogo de Almeida
79 Brazil MF Ricardinho
86 Serbia GK Milo
89 Brazil FW Arthur Ivo
91 Argentina FW Carlos Videla

Staff

Team historian Alan Balthrop and then-team owner Ronnie Davis, October 2013.

Developmental team

On May 20, 2013, the team announced that some of the players who participated in the 2012–13 season would be joined by prospects to compete as "Sidekicks Premier" in the Premier Arena Soccer League for the Summer 2013 PASL-Premier season. The Sidekicks Premier played their home games at the Inwood Soccer Center in Addison, Texas. The team earned a 7–1 record and placed second in the South Central Division. Although they qualified for the playoffs, team ownership elected not to make the trip to California.

2014 Sidekicks Premier season

The developmental team was scheduled to return in Summer 2014 with former Sidekicks player Nick Stavrou as head coach.[18] They were scheduled to compete against the Wichita B-52s Premier, Texas Xtreme, Dallas Elite (formerly Atletico Barcelona), and Tulsa Revolution Premier in the PASL-Premier's Central Division.[19] The summer schedule was cancelled after the team was unable to secure a suitable playing venue.

References

  1. ↑ Barron, J. David (October 31, 2012). "Keep your shirt on! Sidekicks ready to draw again". Allen American-Star. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  2. ↑ Glaze, Tim (January 24, 2014). "Indoor-mania!". Lake Cities Sun (Corinth, TX: Star Local News). Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  3. 1 2 McNabb, David (November 3, 2012). "Reborn Sidekicks have winning start; Team returns after eight-year absence as 5,909 fans look on". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  4. ↑ Hart, Shannon Powell (February 8, 2013). "Dallas Sidekicks back in action". Good Morning Texas (Dallas, TX: WFAA-TV). Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  5. ↑ Brown, Travis L. (May 1, 2012). "Dallas Sidekicks reboot in November". ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. ↑ Mooney, Michael J. (December 14, 2012). "Some Thoughts About the New Dallas Sidekicks". D Magazine. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  7. ↑ Henz, Frank (May 1, 2012). "Dallas Sidekicks Return to North Texas; Team to play first game in Allen on Nov. 3". KXAS-TV. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Reborn Dallas Sidekicks Join PASL for 2012-13 Season". PASL. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ Hunt, Steve (May 1, 2012). "Sidekicks set for November start". The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX). Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  10. ↑ Barron, J. David (February 28, 2013). "New Sidekicks owner employs old formula for success". Allen American-Star (Allen, TX: Star Local News). Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ Goolsby, Wyatt (July 17, 2012). "Dallas Sidekicks to hold tryouts". WFAA-TV. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  12. 1 2 Marshall, Raymond (November 4, 2013). "Sidekicks bomb B-52’s 15-3 in season opener". The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX). Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ Smith, Melissa (Spring 2013). "Dallas Sidekicks Comeback Season Labeled Success". Goal Online (United States Indoor Soccer Association). Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Sidekicks Announce Date of 2013-14 Home Opener". Our Sports Central. July 9, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  15. ↑ Marshall, Raymond (November 1, 2013). "Sidekicks to open season vs. Wichita B-52s". The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX). Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Dallas Sidekicks 2012-13 Roster". Professional Arena Soccer League. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Roster". Dallas Sidekicks. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Premier Arena Soccer League Summer 2014 Standings". Premier Arena Soccer League. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  19. ↑ "PASL Premier 2014 Summer League". Wichita B-52s. June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.

External links

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