United States Virgin Islands national soccer team explained

U.S. Virgin Islands
Badge:US_Virgin_Islands_Soccer_Federation.svg
Badge Size:235px
Nickname:The Dashing Eagles
Association:U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation
Sub-Confederation:CFU (Caribbean)
Coach:Gilberto Damiano
Captain:J.C. Mack
Most Caps:Jett Blaschka (22)
Top Scorer:Jamie Browne
J.C. Mack (3)
Home Stadium:Bethlehem Soccer Stadium
Fifa Trigramme:VIR
Fifa Max:149
Fifa Max Date:July 2011
Fifa Min:208
Fifa Min Date:March 2022, November 2023
Elo Max:208
Elo Max Date:1998
Elo Min:222
Elo Min Date:March 2015
American:true
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Largest Win: 0–3
(The Valley, Anguilla; March 22, 2019)
Largest Loss:
(Port-au-Prince, Haiti; April 14, 2001)

The U.S. Virgin Islands national soccer team, nicknamed The Dashing Eagles, is the national soccer team of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is controlled by the U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation.

History

Though FIFA did not officially recognize the USVI team as affiliated until 1992, the Virgin Islands federation was founded in the 1970s by Trinidad native Robert T. Wills who helped build the base of the USVI Soccer Federation as it is known today. The team played its first official international match on March 21, 1998, in a victory against the British Virgin Islands.[1] In May 2011, the USVI soccer federation chief, Frederick Hillaren, began ambitious changes in the team and appointed Keith Griffith, former coach and captain of the Barbados national team and former coach of Trinidad and Tobago powerhouse club team Joe Public F.C., as technical director. Within two months of Griffith's appointment, the team shot up 51 places in the FIFA World Rankings. Soccer is the third most popular sport on the islands.

Stadium

Previously the team did not have a national stadium and were forced to play their home matches at Lionel Roberts Park, a baseball stadium in Charlotte Amalie. For their 2014 World Cup qualification matches, the team needed to bring in a new grass surface and make other special arrangements. In the past, the team has played at Paul E. Joseph Stadium in St. Croix.[2] However, in February 2012, it was announced that the stadium was condemned and will be demolished to make way for a new sports complex that will cost at least $50 million. The 50acres complex will contain venues for tennis, volleyball, baseball, and aquatics. However, the plans did not include a new soccer stadium.[3]

For the 2018 World Cup qualification, the team played at the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Ground where they suffered a 4–0 loss to the Barbados national team.[4]

In August 2019, the USVI Soccer Association officially opened the 1,200-seat Bethlehem Soccer Stadium in Christiansted after an almost four-year construction process of the new complex.[5] [6]

Results and fixtures

See main article: United States Virgin Islands national soccer team results. The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2024

Squad

Current squad

The following players have been named to the squad for 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League match against Aruba on 16 November 2023.[7]

Caps and goals updated on November 16, 2023, following the match against Aruba.

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the United States Virgin Islands squad within the last twelve months.

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Records

[8]

Players in bold are still active with US Virgin Islands.

Most appearances

width=30px Rankwidth=160px Playerwidth=50px Capswidth=50px Goalswidth=100px Career
1 Dusty Good2102011–2022
Kassall Greene2102016–present
3Lionel Brown2002019–present
Jett Blaschka2002018–present
5MacDonald Taylor Jr.1912006–present
6J.C. Mack1832018–present
7Dwayne Thomas1712002–2015
8Jimson St. Louis1612019–present
9Lishati Bailey1532002–2015
Raejae Joseph 1502018–present

Top goalscorers

width=30pxRankPlayerwidth=50pxGoalswidth=50pxCapswidth=50pxRatioCareer
1Jamie Browne3112006–2022
J. C. Mack3182018–present
3Kevin Sheppard222002
Reid Klopp252011
Trevor Wrensford262016–2019
Bryce Pierre282004–2019
Aaron Dennis292018–2019

Coaching history

Technical directors

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World CupQualification
YearRoundPosition
1930 to 1998Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member
2002Did not qualify2002114
20062002011
20101001010
20148206641
2018210114
20224004015
2026202011
2030To be determinedTo be determined
2034
Total2233161097

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup recordwidth=1% rowspan="20"Qualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Did not enterDid not enter
Withdrew from qualificationWithdrew from qualification [10]
Did not qualify3003237
20032002211
20053012122
20072002112
Did not enterDid not enter
Did not qualify200213
2017210133
20194103316
20212019–20 CONCACAF Nations League
20232022–23 CONCACAF Nations League
Total0 Titles0/1700000016211313104

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
LeagueFinals
SeasonDivisionGroupFinalsResult
2019–20CA6105311 2021Ineligible
2022–23CA6114510 2023
2023–24CB4013511 2024
2024–25CATo be determined 2025
Total1622121332Total0 Titles

Caribbean Cup

Caribbean Cup recordwidth=1% rowspan=28Qualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWD*LGFGA
Did not enterDid not enter
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998Colspan=8WithdrewColspan=6Withdrew
1999Colspan=8 rowspan=4Did not qualify202022
20013003237
20053012122
20073102412
2008Did not enterDid not enter
2010
2012
2014Colspan=8 rowspan=2Did not qualify200213
20174103317
Total0 Titles0/190000001723121393

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Virgin Islanders find a foothold. https://web.archive.org/web/20111015055430/http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/news/newsid=1490215/index.html. dead. October 15, 2011. fifa.com. FIFA. February 20, 2012.
  2. Web site: Davis. Dave. V.I. Men's Soccer Team Trounced in World Cup Qualifier. stthomassource.com. V.I. Source Publications, Inc.. September 7, 2011. February 21, 2012. September 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929165258/http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-sports/2011/09/07/vi-men-s-soccer-team-trounced-world-cup-qualifier. live.
  3. Web site: Shatwell. Justin. Plans Unveiled for Frederiksted Sports Complex. V.I. Source Publications, Inc.. stcroixsource.com. February 16, 2012. February 21, 2012. February 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150212142439/http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/02/16/plans-unveiled-frederiksted-sports-complex. live.
  4. Web site: USVI 0 Barbados 4. https://web.archive.org/web/20150611022849/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=274825/match=300310117/report.html. dead. June 11, 2015. fifa.com. FIFA. November 15, 2015.
  5. Web site: Sunday August 11 FIFA and Concacaf Presidents will be visiting the US Virgin Islands . United States Virgin Islands Soccer Association . August 10, 2019 . July 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230720155731/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D2635101446552389%26id%3D151228944939664%26__xts__%255B0%255D%3D68.ARD6Q739mi5wlk357IzJp3S7rrmVcTNY-ZOezKGZ60wpnCInvhhMLy59gS0XNUPAptErUzertz3B8qMk8BdTfHWyrBqJNhZpzEzvigaSBoW2mUB5HeMgaYcxONEjIpjnLk5xJR7SJGr6eEp5or5ojbpc7VXbTo7j98Qb48CEkb8GfJjSUbtZHbZRV6JV2yYvTkeT_U0z6Oiv-r88jxIqbjbpc3-pZOIMkithCKN54y5OnBKASV5JpgAYIHbNeZZvBCuYqsy4REavXb4NGPJ-1ZWgD9e-81N0ENO5S35k26vRHjoLS9qZgMiyve6Wg1ugo_S4-WqlbjYKPOOdEZKM16Q2kA%26__tn__%3D-R . live .
  6. Web site: USVI Soccer Association Invites Community to Masters Tournament on Aug. 11 . St. Croix Source . August 10, 2019 . August 10, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190810135722/https://stcroixsource.com/2019/08/10/usvi-soccer-association-invites-community-to-masters-tournament-on-aug-11/ . dead .
  7. Web site: 2023-11-14 . The squad list for our final CONCACAF nations league match! . 2023-11-14 . Facebook . en-US.
  8. Web site: US Virgin Islands . National Football Teams.
  9. Web site: Helenites are USVI Soccer Champions. virginislandsnewsonline.com. Virgin Islands News Online. February 28, 2015. December 8, 2015. December 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151210212116/http://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/helenites-are-usvi-soccer-champions. live.
  10. Web site: Gold Cup 2000 .