Pasadena, CA (January 20, 2010) — Bolstering its boys younger age groups as well as its coaching staff, the LAFC Chelsea soccer club announced today that local Legends FC boys teams has merged into LAFC Chelsea, effective February 1, the beginning of the new season. The Legends Boys program, which spans the communities of Chino Hills and Pomona, brings 20 teams and 350 players, U9 through U17, into LAFC. Legends FC will remain an all girls club and continue a great relationship with LAFC.

“Legends boys teams joining LAFC makes us bigger and stronger — it fills out our younger groups and strengthens the ranks of our experienced, licensed coaching staff, letting us give talented players more attention to help get them to the next level,” stated LAFC Chelsea vice president of soccer operations Teddy Chronopoulos.

“This is a great opportunity for the Legends FC Boys Program, both for the players and staff,” said Legends Boys director of coaching Billy Bizzaro who, for nearly a decade, was instrumental in shepherding the growth of the club from two teams to 30 teams. Legends FC was formed two years ago from the merger of Stampede and Glendora FC. Bizzaro is looking forward to working with the LAFC director staff and will be assisting in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, an elite national league and training program of which LAFC Chelsea is a member. Bizzaro adds, “I’d like to personally thank Josh Hodges, Angela Wright and everyone involved with Legends FC — it’s been a great experience!”

LAFC Chelsea, a subsidiary of the nonprofit LAFC Foundation, has become one of America’s largest and most prominent club soccer organizations. For more information, please visit www.lafcsoccer.com.

LAFC Chelsea’s reputation as a stepping-stone to top college programs continues to grow. Four players from the boys program have committed to play for Division I schools that traditionally rank among the best in college soccer. Two of the players, Bryce Gumpel and Brady Valashinas will attend highly selective Ivy League universities. Gumpel committed to Brown and Valashinas will play for Princeton. Brown and Princeton both qualified for the NCAA Championships with Brown winning a game before bowing out to eventual semifinalist North Carolina. Although Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they are known for their soccer prowess; this year, four Ivy League teams competed in the NCAA Championships.

Gumpel and Valashinas are strong, savvy central defenders who play for one of two LAFC teams in the Coast Soccer’s U-19 Premier League, arguably the country’s most challenging youth soccer league. They have both spent years with LAFC. Valashinas made the lengthy commute from Manhattan Beach for practices in the Pasadena/La Canada area.

Two highly recruited midfielders from the same team, Michael Gates and Giovanni Rollie, also selected their colleges. Gates, a high-energy central midfielder, will attend Santa Clara University, while Rollie, who plays on the outside, chose the University of New Mexico. “Michael is a very hard worker and blossomed on and off the field this year,” said Ted Chronopoulos, LAFC’s vice president of soccer operations. “Giovanni is a very dynamic, creative player who can change a game quickly.” Chronopoulos says that the latest commitments affirm LAFC’s approach to junior development. “When colleges and national teams want our players, it shows that we are about development,” Chronopoulos says. “We teach them fundamentals, we teach them how important it is to train at a high intensity and how to act on and off the field. College coaches have confidence that when they sign an LAFC player, that player will thrive with them and reflect well on their program.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation has selected two LAFC players for its under-17 residency program. Stevie Rodriguez and Martin Arrieta will live at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. for much of the winter and spring (The Academy takes its name from the famous sports agency). Rodriguez and Arrieta join 38 of the best U-17 American players, who will train with leading coaches and compete against national teams from other countries in preparation for the next U-17 World Cup.

U.S. Soccer, the governing body of the sport in this country, created the Residency program in 1999 to develop players for U.S. national teams. Residency alumni include stars Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley. Selection is among the highest honors for junior players.

Rodriguez is an attacking midfielder for LAFC. Arrieta plays striker. Both players have shone through their creativity and feel for the game. A third LAFC player, Jovanny Gomez, was asked to try out for the Residency program after appearing in a showcase tournament late last year. It is a credit for any club to see one of its players chosen for the Residency program. It is rarer and more remarkable when two are chosen and others considered.

Rodriguez and Arrieta will train in the morning under Wilmer Cabrera, a two-time World Cup participant and respected coach, and other national coaches. They will attend classes in the afternoon at the Bradenton Academy. They will have access to IMG’s state-of-the-art fitness training complex, which includes two swimming pools, and practice on one of three Bermuda grass fields, or in a domed turf facility on campus. “It’s very significant that LAFC has been able to repeatedly cultivate such talented players,” said Ted Chronopoulos, the vice president of soccer operations. “Other players in our club can see through Stevie and Martin and Jovanny what’s possible when they combine their talent with hard work and determination. We look forward to seeing these players and others climb to the elite ranks of U.S. players.”