Kitsap Pumas Executive Director Ben Pecora, at the podium, greets guests at Friday's Western Conference Finals press conference in Bremerton. (David Falk)
The Kitsap Pumas held a Western Conference Finals press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday's 1:30 and 5:00 PM matches at Bremerton Memorial Stadium.
Members of the Pumas and Hollywood United Hitmen were on hand and Portland Timbers U23 head coach Jim Rilatt listened in via conference call.
I attended the event and shot the video and photos in this article.
I talked individually after the conference with 2005 Seattle Sounders winger Brent Whitfield who will suit up for Hollywood United on Saturday, and Kitsap Pumas goalkeeper Dustyn Brim (see interview videos below).
Kitsap Sun: Four teams, one goal & Memorial Stadium gets a thumbs up
Bremerton Memorial Stadium, home of the Kitsap Pumas, is the site of the 2010 PDL Western Conference Finals, featuring three matches over two days as a quartet of teams look to move closer to a league title.
The Ventura County Fusion and Hollywood United Hitmen, both of California, will join the Pumas and the Portland Timbers U23 in what arguably is the 16-team tournament's strongest bracket.
Ventura County is the defending league champ, defeating the Pumas in the quarterfinals en route to the title last year. Portland finished the 2010 regular season unbeaten and untied — the first team to do so since 1998 — and dethroned Kitsap as Northwest Division champions.
Action begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday as the Hitmen and Timbers U23 square off. The match will feature the league's highest-scoring club in Portland, which outscored its opponents 53-6.
The winner of that game advances to face the winner of the Kitsap-Ventura County contest. The Fusion and Pumas kick off at 5 p.m. Saturday in a rematch of last year's PDL quarterfinals. The Fusion knocked off the Pumas 2-1 — eventually winning the championship.
"It's definitely an added incentive," Kitsap defender Dan Scott said of getting a rematch with the champs. "But we're going to take it one game at a time because nothing that's happened up to this point matters anymore. It's a new season."
Saturday's winners will face off at 5 p.m. Sunday with a berth to the national semifinals — or "final four" — on the line. That game also will be played at Bremerton Memorial Stadium.
This is the first time in Kitsap's young history that it will play host to the PDL playoffs. Kitsap earned that right by winning a bid process. Should the Pumas advance, Kitsap could host the national semifinals — and championship match — as well.
Bringing this event to Bremerton also gives the Pumas a critical home-field advantage, on which the players hope to capitalize.
"Our fans, hands-down, are the best in the league," Scott said. "They travel with us and support us, and that's a major motivation. We want to win for them."
Tickets remain available and can be by calling club headquarters or at the gate tomorrow (360) 377-6008.
Comments
As someone once said...ALLEZ Pumas!
Looks like the Pumas ran a first-class event there. Well done.
If we beat Thunder Bay today there is a good chance y'll be traveling to Pontiac MI for the the next round.
Brent Whitfield was playing for Ventura earlier this year, right? ... now all of a sudden playing for Hollywood. Im confused.
Hollywood is a professional team paying players - Fusion are not. He needed the finacial benefits.
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