Puerto Rico Islanders News Release - www.prislandersfc.com

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

BAYAMON, PR -- Puerto Rican defender Marco Velez re-signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders for 2010’s USSF Division II Pro League, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Championship and CONCACAF Champions League.

In 2001, Velez became the first Puerto Rican to play in Major League Soccer, signing with Toronto FC. He had a great season as starting center back for the Reds and repeated in 2009 until August when we signed with the Islanders for the last couple of months of the USL First Division season.

“I am very happy to be back home with my fans, this time for the entire season, representing my team, the Islanders," Velez said. "I always followed them and supported them while I was away. I am an Islander at heart and no one can take that from me. This year I will give it all to win the first championship for the Islanders.”

The Puerto Rico Islanders have come close to winning their first championship, losing the USL-1 2008 Championship and CFU Championship in their respective Finals, and reaching the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. It is a great motivation for Velez and the Islanders to win the team’s first championship in 2010. He feels committed to the development of soccer in Puerto Rico and will take a big part on this in 2010.

EPJr: Thanks a lot for posting here. This subforum used to have a lot of activity before the Islanders supporters' sites were started.

Marco Velez is loved and will always be loved by Islanders' and Puerto Rico National Team supporters. His family also is loved. His parents and siblings and their kids showed up at Islanders home games even when Marco had moved on to Toronto.

Marco is the poster boy for Puerto Rican soccer, the greatest player that I actual Island(s) have produced in the modern era, no doubt.

Marco could go play in Iceland and his fans would still do everyting in our power to follow his career and share the news with the other supporters. Marco is a more than a player to many us, he is a symbol of overcoming the odds to achieve one's goals. He still has awful lot of futbol left in him...

And not to nitpick the press release but just to set the record straight:

Marco was the first Puerto Rican from the Island(s) to play in MLS. Chris Armas, to the best of my knowledge was the first player of Puerto Rican heritage to play in MLS. Orlando Perez and Jason Hernandez. All of them were born Stateside but they are all Puerto Rican.