Annapolis (Map, News) - Starting tonight, professional outdoor soccer is back in Maryland.

Crystal Palace USA, a United Soccer League club that essentially serves as a farm team for the first team of the same name in England, will kick off its inaugural home schedule at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with a 7 p.m. game against the Cleveland City Stars (1-0).

“It means a lot because soccer is so important here in Maryland, and the fact that we haven’t had a real outdoor professional team here that caught on for several years is a shame,” said Palace general manager/co-coach Pete Medd, a Maryland native and Towson University product. “We’re just honored to bring it back to Maryland. Maryland used to be known as the capital of U.S. soccer, and for it to not have professional outdoor soccer is a shame.”

Maryland’s new team has been in regular-season action for the past two weeks, having lost at Charlotte, 4-1, on April 20. Since then, some lineup and tactical changes have been made to put the best product possible on the field today for the expected crowd of roughly 3,000.

“We did a lot of things well and we did one thing poorly, and that was defend set pieces,” Palace sporting director/co-coach Jim Cherneski said. “We were scored upon on three corners.”

Defending corner kicks will be a focus defensively, while the offense will look to take advantage of the expansive 115x73-yard playing field in Annapolis.

“We really like the fact that we’re going to be on our home field, which is wide,” Medd said. “We can exploit or skill and our speed to offset their size.”

Some lineup changes from that opening game are likely, but the team’s coaching staff said those changes won’t be announced until game time. Aside from trying to utilize its speed, Palace’s tactics will be focused upon precision and finishing, because, despite dominating possession time and scoring changes against Charlotte, the team mustered just one goal — from former Baltimore Blast defender Ibrahim Kante.

Palace will turn around and play again on Saturday night at 7 against the Cincinnati Kings.

“We’re going to probably use everyone on our roster,” Cherneski said. “It’s going to be a tough weekend for us, but we believe we can get two wins.”

Comments from Examiner Readers

7:15 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "A new look at Palace"

Examiner Reader said:
Not after the two more games they play they will be in playoffs and be promoted to EPL!!! GO PALACE!!!

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6:12 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 25, 2008 re: "A new look at Palace"

Examiner Reader said:
Crystal Palace isn't in the EPL. They are in the League Championship, which is one level below.

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