Cincinnati Kings
Encyclopedia
Cincinnati Kings is an American soccer team based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Founded in 2005, 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 Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.

The team plays its home games at the Town and Country Sports Complex in nearby Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilder is located at ....

, where they have played since 2007. The team's colors are red and black.

USL Second Division

The Cincinnati Kings first entered the USL Second Division
USL Second Division
The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...

 in 2005, under the leadership of Yacoub Abdallahi, an entrepreneur from Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...

 in north Africa who graduated from Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...

, and player-manager Jon Pickup, a former English U-16 international, who played professionally in England with Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers and Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

. From their home at Corcoran Field
Corcoran Field
Corcoran Field is a 1,600-seat soccer stadium located on the campus of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Xavier University Soccer Complex....

 on the campus of Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...

, the Kings made an immediate splash in the league, remaining unbeaten in their first five games, and enjoying a comprehensive 5–0 win over Northern Virginia Royals
Northern Virginia Royals
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 , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

 in just their second ever competitive match. However, Cincinnati's mid-season form stuttered slightly; the Kings lost four in a row, conceding a late goal against 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...

, and giving 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 own-goal winner in the first game of June. Even their first foray into the US Open Cup was a disappointing one, as they shockingly lost 4–2 in the first round to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

-based USASA
USASA
The United States Adult Soccer Association is a national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States...

 amateur side Reggae Boyz. This, really, remained the story for much of the rest of the season. Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...

 was not the fortress they needed it to be, and despite an away win over 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 early July, and a 4–1 thrashing of Northern Virginia Royals
Northern Virginia Royals
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 , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...

 on the last day of ths season, the Kings finished their first year in 5th place 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...

. George Kithas was the top scorer with 5 goals; Jack Cummings and Tiest Sondaal were the top assist providers with three each.

2006 was a slight improvement for the Kings. Despite losing their opening two fixtures, the Kings nevertheless became a tough team to beat, and enjoyed improved home form throughout the season. The Kings' main problem was a lack of consistency, and their inability to build any kind of unbeaten momentum – their strongest run of form coming towards the end of July when they rattled off four wins in a row, including two 4-goal hauls against 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...

. Most of the rest of the time, however, win followed loss followed win followed loss, and all the while the Kings lost ground on the teams ahead of them. For the second consecutive year the Kings' US Open Cup run was a short one, going out at the first hurdle with a 2–1 loss to PDL side Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

. However, despite losing their final two regular season games of the year 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....

 and 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...

, their results were enough to leave them in fourth place in the table, and in the playoffs. They were drawn against Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers are an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...

 in the semi final; Richmond took the first leg at home in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 2–1, and despite a home crowd of 1,465, and despite out-shooting the Kickers, the Kings simply couldn't find the net in the second leg, and Richmond went through to the final 2–1 on aggregate. Jeff Hughes
Jeff Hughes (soccer)
Jeff Hughes is an American soccer player, currently playing for Cincinnati Kings in the USL Premier Development League.-Youth and College:...

 and John Krause
John Krause
John Krause is an American-born Puerto Rican international footballer who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.-College and amateur:...

 were Cincinnati's top scorers, with 4 goals each, Nowaf Jaman contributed 4 assists, and head coach Pickup was named USL2 Manager of the Year.

2007, however, was tough all round for the Ohioans. The year started positively with a move away from University accommodation to the Town and Country Sports Club, just across the border in Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilder is located at ....

, which owner Yacoub purchased as the Kings' permanent home for $11.3 million. On the field, however, the Kings' fortunes were much less favorable. The Kings only managed two wins – 1–0 over Crystal Palace Baltimore and 4–0 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...

 – in their first ten games, and by the end of June were already struggling to remain in contention for the playoffs. For the third year in a row the Kings' US Open Cup run lasted just one game, as they lost to a USASA
USASA
The United States Adult Soccer Association is a national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States...

 side for the second time – this time a 1–0 defeat to National Premier Soccer League
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...

 team Milwaukee Bavarians
Milwaukee Bavarians
Milwaukee Bavarians is an American soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1929, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Midwest Division.The team plays its home games in the...

 – and this seemed to signal Cincinnati's doom for the rest of the season. The Kings just managed to win just two more regular season games – 1–0 over Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers are an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...

 in July and 3–1 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...

 on the last day of the season – eventually finishing a distant 8th in the table. Chad Eckerlin and Byron Neal did score 13 goals between them, but on the whole it was a hugely disappointing season for the Kings.

Prior to the beginning of the 2008 season, it was announced that the Kings would be taking voluntary relegation, and would henceforth be competing 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...

.

USL Premier Development League

The Kings' first season in the PDL did not go entirely to plan, despite winning their opening game 1–0 over the Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

. The Kings lost five of their next six games, dropping 3–0 to Ohio rivals Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals
Cleveland Internationals was an American soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference...

, and only just scraping past 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...

 2–1 off a late, late winner from Braden Bishop. Things didn't get much better during the middle of the season; Cleveland compounded their state superiority with a thumping 5–1 win at the end of July, and although the Kings managaged to hold perennial powerhouses Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...

 to a goalless draw, and pick up another win over West Virginia, things were generally fairly grim. The Kings were out of the playoff race by mid-August, and dropped three of their last five games, including a 0–4 loss to Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....

 on the final day of the season. Thy eventually finished fourth in their division, almost 30 points behind league-leaders Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks is an American soccer team based in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

; Branden Stelmak was the top scorer, the 5 goals on the season.

2009 was not much better for the Kings. In their second season in the amateur ranks they managed just four wins in a difficult season – a 2–0 win over the Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...

 in May, a pair of 3–1 wins over Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, 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 team...

 in June, and a 3–2 win over Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx is a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference....

 in July in which substitute Judson McKinney scored a last minute winner. The rest of the year was a disappointment, especially on the defensive end; they conceded three goals on five separate occasions, including four of their first five games of the season. Their worst defeat of the season was the 5–1 thrashing they suffered at the hands of Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...

 in July. The Kings finished the season in 8th place in the Great Lakes division, decisively out of the playoffs; Judson McKinney was the team's top scorer, with four goals, while Aaron Miller and Jonathan Sutton contributed two assists each.

Current roster

As of June 7, 2011.

Notable former players

  • See also: All-time Cincinnati Kings roster
    All-time Cincinnati Kings roster
    This list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for Cincinnati Kings since the team's first season in the USL in 2005...


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.

Trey Alexander
Trey Alexander
Robert "Trey" Alexander is an American soccer player, currently without a club.-College and Amateur:...

 Steven Beattie
Steven Beattie
Steven Beattie is a Irish footballer.- Youth & College :Arguably one of the most dominant athletes to ever wear a Norse uniform, Beattie ran roughshod against opposing defenses during his four-year career at Northern Kentucky University, scoring 77 career goals and adding 30 assists...

 Ivan Becerra
Ivan Becerra
Ivan Becerra is a Mexican footballer currently playing for Wilmington Hammerheads in the USL Professional Division.-College:...

 Moussa Dagnogo
Moussa Dagnogo
Moussa Dagnogo is a former French footballer who formerly worked as Head Coach of Carmel United Soccer Club. He is currently coaching premier players at Jacksonville Youth Soccer Club.-Coaching career:...

 François Dubourdeau
François Dubourdeau
François Dubourdeau is a French footballer currently playing for Cincinnati Kings in the USL Second Division. His previous clubs include Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Forfar Athletic and Accrington Stanley....

 Jeff Hughes
Jeff Hughes (soccer)
Jeff Hughes is an American soccer player, currently playing for Cincinnati Kings in the USL Premier Development League.-Youth and College:...

 Jordan James
Jordan James (soccer)
Jordan James is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the USL First Division.-Youth:...


John Krause
John Krause
John Krause is an American-born Puerto Rican international footballer who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.-College and amateur:...

 John McGinlay
John McGinlay
John McGinlay is a Scottish former footballer who is perhaps best known for his spell at Bolton Wanderers in the mid to late 1990s.-Early Career:...

 Michael McGinlay
Michael McGinlay
Michael McGinlay is a professional footballer whose last club was Dundalk in the League of Ireland . He is the son of Bolton Wanderers legend John McGinlay.-Career:...

 Nathan Micklos
Nathan Micklos
Nathan Micklos is a striker formerly playing for American USL Second Division side Cincinnati Kings. Micklos began his professional career in 2006 with the Virginia Beach Mariners after being selected third overall in the USL First Division Draft...

 Florent Raimy
Florent Raimy
Florent Raimy is a Beninese professional footballer currently playing for Maltese Premier League side Marsaxlokk, where he plays as a midfielder.- International :Raimy played in 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...

 Ashleigh Townsend
Ashleigh Townsend
Ashleigh Townsend is an English footballer who last played for Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division.-College:...



Year-by-year

Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs Open Cup
2005 3 USL Second Division 5th Did not qualify 1st Round
2006 3 USL Second Division 4th Semifinals 2nd Round
2007 3 USL Second Division 8th Did not qualify 1st Round
2008 4 USL PDL 4th, Great Lakes Did not qualify Did not qualify
2009 4 USL PDL 8th, Great Lakes Did not qualify Did not qualify
2010 4 USL PDL 6th, Great Lakes Did not qualify Did not qualify
2011 4 USL PDL 8th, Great Lakes Did not qualify Did not qualify

Stadia

  • Corcoran Field
    Corcoran Field
    Corcoran Field is a 1,600-seat soccer stadium located on the campus of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Xavier University Soccer Complex....

    ; Cincinnati, Ohio
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

     (2005–2006)
  • Town and Country Sports Complex; Wilder, Kentucky
    Wilder, Kentucky
    Wilder is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilder is located at ....

    (2007–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
  • 2005: 1,301
  • 2006: 1,153
  • 2007: not yet available
  • 2008: 1,249
  • 2009: 917 (9th in PDL)
  • 2010: 684

Supporters

In 2006 the Cincinnati Kings supporters founded a group dubbed 'The Pride', inspired by the lion in the club's crest. The dedicated group cheers on the Kings at every game with banners, flags, drums and chants. The Pride's crest has the message Juncta Juvant, which was inspired by the city of Cincinnati flag, which also has the message which means "Strength in Unity". The Pride can be found online at http://www.myspace.com/ckfc_pride

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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