2008 PDL season explained

Competition:USL Premier Development League
Season:2008
Winners:Thunder Bay Chill
Prevseason:2007
Nextseason:2009

The 2008 USL Premier Development League season was the 14th season of the PDL. The regular season started on April 26, 2008, and ended on July 20, 2008. The playoffs began on July 22, 2008, and ended with the PDL Championship Game on August 9, 2008.

Thunder Bay Chill finished the season as national champions, beating Laredo Heat on penalty kicks after a 1–1 tie in the PDL Championship game in Laredo, Texas on 9 August 2008.

Michigan Bucks finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 13 out of their 16 games, suffering just one loss, and finishing with a +27 goal difference.

Yakima Reds striker Junior Garcia was the league's top scorer and MVP, knocking in 15 goals. Fresno Fuego's Fabricio Codeceira led the league with 13 assists, while Austin Aztex U23 keeper Miguel Gallardo enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals-against average of 0.615 per game, and keeping 9 clean sheets in his 13 games.

Changes from 2007

Name changes

New franchises

Team NameMetro AreaLocationPrevious Affiliation
Austin Aztex U23Greater Austin areaRound Rock, TXexpansion
Cincinnati KingsGreater Cincinnati areaWilder, KYrelegated from USL-2
Houston LeonesGreater Houston areaRichmond, TXexpansion
Kalamazoo OutrageKalamazoo areaKalamazoo, MIexpansion
New Hampshire PhantomsHillsborough County areaManchester, NHrelegated from USL-2
New Jersey RangersNorthern New Jersey areaDenville, NJexpansion
Newark Ironbound ExpressNewark areaNewark, NJexpansion
Panama City PiratesPanama City areaPanama City Beach, FLexpansion
Vancouver Whitecaps ResidencyMetro Vancouver areaBurnaby, BCtransferred from PCSL

Folding

Final standings

Legend
Team won the Division Title
Team qualified for playoff berth

Central Conference

Great Lakes Division

Midwest Division

Heartland Division

The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The Conference champion receives a bye into the Conference Semifinals, with the third place team from that division receiving a playoff berth.

Eastern Conference

Mid Atlantic Division

New England Division

Northeast Division

The Division Champions and the Second Place team with the most points qualify for the playoffs.

Southern Conference

Mid South Division

Southeast Division

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Southwest Division

The top two teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

Playoffs

The Divisional Round for the Central Conference took place July 22–23, 2008, with the Conference Championships taking place between July 25–27. The PDL Semifinals took place on August 2, and the final was played on August 9.

Divisional round

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Conference semifinals

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Conference finals

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PDL semifinals

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PDL final

Awards and All-League team

F: Carlos Araujo (Central Florida Kraze); Felix Garcia (Laredo Heat) (U19 Player of the Year); Junior Garcia (Yakima Reds) (league MVP)
M: Will Beaugé (Ottawa Fury); Fabricio Codeceira (Fresno Fuego); Adam Gazda (Reading Rage); Nate Jafta (Michigan Bucks)
D: Darrius Barnes (Cary RailHawks U23's); Mike Holody (Michigan Bucks); Norberto Papandrea (Austin Aztex U23) (Defender of the Year)
G: Miguel Gallardo (Austin Aztex U23) (Goalkeeper of the Year)
Coach: Wolfgang Suhnholz (Austin Aztex U23)

See also