2012 USL Pro season
26th season of third-division soccer league in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2012 USL Pro season was the 26th season of third-division soccer in the United States,[1] and the second season of USL Pro. The season started with 11 teams. FC New York self-relegated to the National Premier Soccer League prior to the release of the schedule. The final weekend of the regular season was August 17–19.
Season2012
ChampionsCharleston Battery (1st Title)
Commissioner's CupOrlando City SC (2nd Title)
Matches132
| Season | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Charleston Battery (1st Title) |
| Commissioner's Cup | Orlando City SC (2nd Title) |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 330 (2.5 per match) |
| Best player |  Kevin Molino Orlando City SC |
| Top goalscorer |  Dennis Chin Orlando City SC (11 Goals) |
| Best goalkeeper |  Kristian Nicht Rochester Rhinos |
| Biggest home win | CHB 4, ANT 0 (May 4) HAR 4, DDL 0 (May 19) DDL 4, WIL 0 (June 23) ORL 4, ROC 0 (July 14) ORL 4, CHB 0 (July 27) CHE 4, ANT 0 (August 4) |
| Biggest away win | ORL 4, LAB 0 (July 8) CHB 4, ROC 0 (August 11) |
| Highest scoring | WIL 4, LAB 2 (June 30) ORL 4, HAR 2 (August 1) |
| Longest winning run | 6 games: ROC (April 14 – May 12) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 14 games: ORL (June 9 – August 17) |
| Longest winless run | 12 games: DDL (April 13 – June 17) |
| Longest losing run | 8 games: ANT (April 28 – June 29) |
| Highest attendance | 8,932 ORL vs DDL (August 17) |
| Lowest attendance | 200 LAB vs WIL (May 4) |
| Average attendance | 2,777 |
← 2011 2013 → | |
Teams
Stadiums and Locations
Personal and Kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Jersey manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua Barracuda |  Tom Curtis |
 George Dublin |
Joma | None |
| Charleston Battery | Michael Anhaeuser |
 Stephen Armstrong |
Umbro | avVenta |
| Charlotte Eagles | Mark Steffens |
Josh Rife |
Admiral | Coca-Cola |
| Dayton Dutch Lions |  Ivar van Dinteren |
Bret Jones |
Under Armour | Scoutforall.com |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | Bill Becher |
Jason Pelletier |
Nike | Capital Blue Cross/Snickers |
| Los Angeles Blues | Charlie Naimo |
 Shahryar Dastan |
Nike | Marriott |
| Orlando City SC | Adrian Heath |
Ian Fuller |
Umbro | Orlando Health/Legoland Florida |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Justin Evans |
Umbro | #1 Cochran | |
| Richmond Kickers | Leigh Cowlishaw |
Ronnie Pascale |
Adidas | Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. |
| Rochester Rhinos | Jesse Myers |
Umbro | Non-Smoking Coalition | |
| Wilmington Hammerheads | David Irving |
Umbro | New Hanover Regional Medical Center |
Transfers
For full list, see List of USL Pro transfers 2012.
Standings
Locations of teams for the 2012 USL Pro season
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | T | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando City SC (C) | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 50 | 18 | +32 | 57 | Commissioner's Cup, Playoffs 1st round bye |
| 2 | Rochester Rhinos (A) | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 41 | Playoffs 1st round bye |
| 3 | Charleston Battery (A) | 24 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 36 | 26 | +10 | 38 | Playoffs |
| 4 | Richmond Kickers (A) | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 27 | +4 | 38 | |
| 5 | Wilmington Hammerheads (A) | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 37 | |
| 6 | Harrisburg City Islanders (A) | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 37 | |
| 7 | Charlotte Eagles | 24 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 36 | |
| 8 | Los Angeles Blues | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 30 | |
| 9 | Dayton Dutch Lions | 24 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 29 | −9 | 22 | |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 24 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 39 | −19 | 17 | |
| 11 | Antigua Barracuda | 24 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 50 | −34 | 16 |
Source: USL Pro official standings
Rules for classification: Points, then tiebreak: 1) Head-to-head record based on total points in League games, 2) Total wins in League games, 3) Goal difference in League games, 4) Goals scored in League games, etc.[2]
(A) Advances to USL Pro Playoffs; (C) Commissioner's Cup (best regular season record)
Rules for classification: Points, then tiebreak: 1) Head-to-head record based on total points in League games, 2) Total wins in League games, 3) Goal difference in League games, 4) Goals scored in League games, etc.[2]
(A) Advances to USL Pro Playoffs; (C) Commissioner's Cup (best regular season record)
Results table
| Color Key: Home • Away • Win • Loss • Draw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Match | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | ||||||
| Antigua Barracuda FC (ANT) | PIT | PIT | CHE | CHE | WIL | CHB | ORL | ORL | CHB | ORL | CHB | CHB | ROC | HAR | LAB | LAB | PIT | DAY | RIC | CHE | LAB | LAB | RIC | RIC | |||||
| 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | ||||||
| Charleston Battery (CHB) | RIC | RIC | CHE | PIT | ANT | ROC | LAB | PIT | DAY | ORL | ANT | HAR | ANT | ANT | CHE | CHE | WIL | ORL | ORL | WIL | WIL | HAR | ROC | DAY | |||||
| 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Charlotte Eagles (CHE) | ORL | DAY | CHB | HAR | ANT | ANT | HAR | ROC | ROC | WIL | ORL | RIC | RIC | LAB | CHB | CHB | PIT | WIL | RIC | RIC | ANT | PIT | DAY | WIL | |||||
| 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | ||||||
| Dayton Dutch Lions (DDL) | CHE | PIT | ROC | RIC | LAB | ROC | HAR | ROC | CHB | PIT | LAB | LAB | WIL | ORL | PIT | ROC | HAR | HAR | WIL | RIC | ANT | CHE | ORL | CHB | |||||
| 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Harrisburg City Islanders (HAR) | CHE | WIL | CHE | RIC | PIT | DAY | ROC | RIC | WIL | ROC | ORL | CHB | ROC | PIT | ANT | DAY | DAY | PIT | LAB | ORL | CHB | RIC | LAB | LAB | |||||
| 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | ||||||
| Los Angeles Blues (LAB) | ROC | ROC | WIL | WIL | DAY | PIT | ORL | CHB | DAY | DAY | CHE | WIL | RIC | ORL | ORL | ANT | ANT | ROC | HAR | PIT | ANT | ANT | HAR | HAR | |||||
| 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | ||||||
| Orlando City SC (ORL) | CHE | WIL | RIC | RIC | PIT | ANT | ANT | LAB | CHE | WIL | CHB | ANT | HAR | DAY | PIT | LAB | LAB | ROC | CHB | WIL | CHB | HAR | ROC | DAY | |||||
| 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | ||||||
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds (PIT) | ANT | ANT | DAY | CHB | WIL | ORL | LAB | HAR | RIC | CHB | DAY | ROC | WIL | ORL | DAY | HAR | RIC | CHE | HAR | ROC | ANT | LAB | CHE | ROC | |||||
| 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | ||||||
| Richmond Kickers (RIC) | CHB | CHB | ORL | ORL | DAY | HAR | PIT | WIL | HAR | ROC | CHE | WIL | CHE | ROC | LAB | WIL | PIT | DAY | CHE | CHE | ANT | HAR | ANT | ANT | |||||
| 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | ||||||
| Rochester Rhinos (ROC) | LAB | LAB | DAY | CHE | CHE | CHB | DAY | HAR | DAY | RIC | WIL | HAR | PIT | RIC | HAR | ANT | DAY | WIL | ORL | PIT | LAB | ORL | CHB | PIT | |||||
| 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–0 | ||||||
| Wilmington Hammerheads (WIL) | ORL | HAR | PIT | ANT | LAB | LAB | CHE | RIC | ORL | ROC | HAR | RIC | PIT | DAY | LAB | RIC | ROC | CHB | DAY | CHE | ORL | CHB | CHB | CHE | |||||
| 1–4 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | ||||||
Playoffs
The 2012 USL Pro Playoffs included the top six finishers in the table, with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds receiving a first-round bye on August 25. The semifinals featuring the four remaining teams was played the following weekend, with the 2012 USL PRO Championship set for the weekend of September 7–9. All playoff rounds featured a single-game knockout format.
| First Round | Semi-finals | USL Pro Championship | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Orlando City SC | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Richmond Kickers | 2 | 5 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 4 | |||||||||
| 5 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 3 | 3 | Charleston Battery | 1 | |||||||||
| 5 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Rochester Rhinos | 1 (3) | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Charleston Battery | 2 | 3 | Charleston Battery (p) | 1 (4) | |||||||||
| 6 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 1 | ||||||||||||
| August 25, 2012 1st | Richmond Kickers | 2–3 | Wilmington Hammerheads | Richmond, Virginia |
| 7:00 pm EDT | Yeisley  12'Elcock 79' |
Report Report[link removed] |
Briggs  57'Chirishian 69'Perry 72'Guzman 90'Parratt 90+3' |
Stadium: City Stadium Attendance: 1,441 Referee: Charles Carson |
| August 25, 2012 1st | Charleston Battery | 2–1 | Harrisburg City Islanders | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Paterson 40' (pen.) 89' Donatelli 45+1'Richter 80' |
Report Report[link removed] |
Ombiji 16' Mellor 45'Pelletier 53'Basso 77' |
Stadium: Blackbaud Stadium Attendance: 2,718 Referee: Augie Minasola |
| August 31, 2012 SF | Orlando City SC | 3–4 | Wilmington Hammerheads | Orlando, Florida |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Luzunaris 44' O'Connor 61'Watson 81' 90+' (pen.)Davis 90+' |
Report Report[link removed] |
Hertzog 4' (pen.), 59' 90+' Holmes 9'Chirishian 29' 30'Cole 32'Riley  64'Guzman 71'Hernandez 90+' |
Stadium: Citrus Bowl Attendance: 7,887 Referee: Marcos Deliveira |
| August 31, 2012 SF | Rochester Rhinos | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | Charleston Battery | Rochester, New York |
| 7:35 pm EDT | McFayden 55' McManus 57'Hoxie 76'Cost 80'Fernández 90' |
Report Report[link removed] |
Donatelli 90+' Hoffer 114' |
Stadium: Sahlen's Stadium Attendance: 3,312 Referee: Vito Testa, Jr. |
| Penalties | ||||
Hoxie  Kyriazis  Earls Zamudio Roberts Nicht Rosenlund |
Paterson Donatelli Azira Falvey Prince Wilson Mack |
|||
| September 8, 2012 F | Charleston Battery | 1–0 | Wilmington Hammerheads | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 7:30 pm EDT | Azira 74' Falvey 75'Wiltse 87' |
Report Report Report |
Cole 34' Chirishian 46'Musa 66' |
Stadium: Blackbaud Stadium Attendance: 4,963 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
Championship Game MVP: Jose Cuevas (CHB)
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
| Team | GP | Total | High | Low | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando City SC | 12 | 79,276 | 8,932 | 3,506 | 6,606 |
| Rochester Rhinos | 12 | 75,176 | 7,959 | 4,653 | 6,265 |
| Wilmington Hammerheads | 12 | 51,183 | 5,382 | 2,482 | 4,265 |
| Charleston Battery | 12 | 47,359 | 4,782 | 2,983 | 3,947 |
| Richmond Kickers | 12 | 28,550 | 5,009 | 1,424 | 2,379 |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | 12 | 17,418 | 1,958 | 355 | 1,452 |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 12 | 11,810 | 2,023 | 532 | 984 |
| Antigua Barracuda | 10 | 8,831 | 1,800 | 381 | 883 |
| Charlotte Eagles | 12 | 9,348 | 1,447 | 522 | 779 |
| Dayton Dutch Lions | 12 | 8,592 | 1,053 | 367 | 716 |
| Los Angeles Blues | 12 | 8,247 | 2,432 | 134 | 687 |
| Total | 130 | 345,790 | 8,932 | 134 | 2,660 |
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Nation | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis Chin |  JAM |
Orlando City SC | 11 |
| 2 | Nicki Paterson |  SCO |
Charleston Battery | 10 |
| 3 | Corey Hertzog | USA |
Wilmington Hammerheads | 9 |
| Matt Luzunaris | USA |
Orlando City SC | ||
| 5 | Andriy Budnyy |  UKR |
Wilmington Hammerheads | 8 |
| 6 | Jose Cuevas | USA |
Charleston Battery | 7 |
| Lucky Mkosana |  ZIM |
Harrisburg City Islanders | ||
| 8 | Bright Dike |  NGA |
Los Angeles Blues | 6 |
| Andrew Hoxie | USA |
Rochester Rhinos | ||
| Yann Ekra |  FRA |
Harrisburg City Islanders | ||
| Chris Agorsor | USA |
Richmond Kickers | ||
| Matt Kassel | USA |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds | ||
| Darryl Roberts | TRI |
Charlotte Eagles | ||
Source:[5]
Top assists
| Rank | Player | Nation | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. C. Banks | USA |
Rochester Rhinos | 8 |
| 2 | Kevin Molino | TRI |
Orlando City SC | 7 |
| 3 | Corey Hertzog | USA |
Wilmington Hammerheads | 5 |
| 4 | Ryan Richter | USA |
Charleston Battery | 4 |
| Jason Pelletier | USA |
Harrisburg City Islanders | ||
| Jose Cuevas | USA |
Charleston Battery | ||
| Mauricio Salles |  BRA |
Charlotte Eagles | ||
| Luke Boden | ENG |
Orlando City SC | ||
| Tony Donatelli | USA |
Charleston Battery | ||
| Sainey Touray |  GAM |
Harrisburg City Islanders | ||
| Sallieu Bundu |  SLE |
Charleston Battery | ||
Top goalkeepers
(Minimum of 1080 Minutes Played)
| Rank | Goalkeeper | Club | GP | MINS | SVS | GA | GAA | W-L-T | SHO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Miguel Gallardo |
Orlando City SC | 21 | 1845 | 53 | 16 | 0.780 | 14-0-6 | 8 |
| 2 | Kristian Nicht |
Rochester Rhinos | 22 | 1890 | 86 | 20 | 0.909 | 12-6-4 | 11 |
| 3 | Andrew Dykstra |
Charleston Battery | 20 | 1800 | 57 | 20 | 1.000 | 11-7-2 | 9 |
| 4 | Eric Reed |
Charlotte Eagles | 21 | 1890 | 64 | 21 | 1.000 | 9-9-1 | 7 |
| 5 | Ronnie Pascale |
Richmond Kickers | 24 | 2154 | 95 | 27 | 1.128 | 11-8-5 | 7 |
| 6 | Matt Williams |
Dayton Dutch Lions | 24 | 2147 | 115 | 29 | 1.215 | 4-10-10 | 5 |
| 7 | Nick Noble |
Harrisburg City Islanders | 23 | 2050 | 70 | 29 | 1.273 | 9-7-7 | 8 |
| 8 | Alex Horwath |
Wilmington Hammerheads | 24 | 2160 | 85 | 32 | 1.333 | 11-7-6 | 7 |
| 9 | Hunter Gilstrap |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 22 | 1980 | 92 | 35 | 1.590 | 4-13-5 | 3 |
| 10 | Molvin James |
Antigua Barracuda | 15 | 1268 | 56 | 33 | 2.342 | 3-9-1 | 0 |
Source:[5]
League awards
- Most Valuable Player:
Kevin Molino (ORL) - Rookie of the Year:
Jose Cuevas (CHB) - Defender of the Year: Troy Roberts (ROC)
- Goalkeeper of the Year:
Kristian Nicht (ROC) - Coach of the Year:
Adrian Heath (ORL)
All-League Teams
First Team
F: Dennis Chin (ORL), Jose Cuevas (CHB), Corey Hertzog (WIL)
M: J.C. Banks (ROC), Kevin Molino (ORL), Nicki Paterson (CHB)
D: Josh Rife (CHE), Troy Roberts (ROC), Rob Valentino (ORL), 
William Yomby (RIC)
G: Kristian Nicht (ROC)
Second Team
F: Bright Dike (LAB), Matt Luzunaris (ORL), Lucky Mkosana (HAR)
M: Joel DeLass (DDL), Matt Kassel (PIT), Bryce Taylor (WIL)
D: Kieron Bernard (ORL), 
Erlys Garcia (LAB), Quentin Griffith (ANT), 
Mechack Jérôme (ORL)
G: Miguel Gallardo (ORL)