This will be the Islanders team for this coming season.

Diego Pierri - Argentina
Diego Deering - Argentina
Fernando Zuleta - Argentina
Martín Zapata - Argentina
Edivaldo da Silva - Brazil
Mauricio Salles - Brazil
Eduardo Memendi - Puerto Rico
Alvaro Torres - Puerto Rico
Joseph Toal - Puerto Rico
Jorge Rosa - Puerto Rico
Angel Mussenden - Puerto Rico
Isaac Nieves - Puerto Rico
Raphel Ortiz - Puerto Rico
Héctor Rivera - Puerto Rico
Alexis Rivera - Puerto Rico
Carlos Astondoa - Puerto Rico
Carlos Garay - Puerto Rico
Michael Maurelo - Spain/USA
Javier Navarini - Argentina/USA
Christopher Gores - USA

Martín Zapata (M)is the best known player on the squad, playing for Unión Santa Fe in Argentina. Deering and Zuleta (both D) both spent time at Gimnasia La Plata, while Pierri (M) was on one of Boca's "inferiores" teams. Of the Brazilians, Edivaldo (M) played for Nova Hamburgo in the lower divisions while Salles (S) was attached to Botafogo.

Of the Puerto Ricans, Memendi, Mussenden, Ortiz, Toal, and Astondoa all have NT caps for Puerto Rico. The others are coming from the Puerto Rican island leagues.

I'll be lucky enough to watch this team 3 times this season and I'll try to post thoughts after the games.


Dave

Thanks for the report, Dave.

Have the Islanders played any friendlies?

They played a friendly against a local team, Añasco 2 weekends ago, winning 5-0. Last Wednesday, they played another local team, Don Bosco, winning 7-1. I'm afraid I don't have teamsheets or goals for either game. Last Saturday, they played a PR "All-Star" team, winning 3-1. New arrival winger Javier Novarini scored one goal and striker Mauricio Salles put away the other two.

It also seems that the team is not set yet as they have two American goalkeepers flying in to be evaluated during this week. I'm afraid their names weren't released.

Also, I found that Javier Novarini's team was misspelled on the original squad list. Tracking down his name, he's a 37 year old right winger with club experience at Racing de Cordoba, the former A-League Jacksonville Cyclones, and more recently the St. Louis indoor team.


-Dave

Thanks for the info DaveH.

It will be interesting to see how they do this season in the A-League. I really hope they do well and at least have a competitive season.