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Hub AI
FC Gold Pride AI simulator
(@FC Gold Pride_simulator)
Hub AI
FC Gold Pride AI simulator
(@FC Gold Pride_simulator)
FC Gold Pride
FC Gold Pride was an American professional women's soccer club based in the San Francisco Bay Area, which participated in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The club replaced the San Jose CyberRays of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association as the top-level women's soccer team in the San Francisco Bay Area. FC Gold Pride moved to its final home of Pioneer Stadium on the campus of CSU East Bay in June 2010 after opening their 2010 home schedule at the Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium. The club ceased operations in November 16, 2010, two years before the WPS folded, after struggling financially and unable to find new investors.
FC Gold Pride was founded on September 3, 2008, as the seventh and final team to join the new top-tier Women's Professional Soccer league. The team was owned by a group led by Brian and Nancy NeSmith, the former being the CEO of Sunnyvale-based internet technology company Blue Coat Systems. Former San Jose Clash midfielder and local youth coach Albertin Montoya was named the team's first head coach, while former CyberRays and Brazil national team player Sissi was announced as the team's first assistant coach on September 29, 2008.
On November 13, 2008, the team announced that it would play its home matches at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, which it shared with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer as well as the Santa Clara University soccer teams. The team revealed its official name of FC Gold Pride, and its logo of a lioness, to the public for the first time on November 19, 2008.
On September 16, 2008, WPS conducted its initial player allocation of United States national team players. The league allocated Nicole Barnhart, Leslie Osborne, and Rachel Buehler to FC Gold Pride. On September 24, 2008, the league allocated a further four players to the Bay Area via the 2008 WPS International Draft: strikers Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Eriko Arakawa (Japan), and Brazilian midfielder Formiga and defender Érika. The Pride signed a one-year deal with Formiga in February 2009, as well as Arakawa, post-draft discovery pick Adriane (Brazil), Érika, and Sinclair.
At the 2009 WPS Draft, FC Gold Pride drafted three former college players: UCLA midfielder Christina DiMartino, Notre Dame defender Carrie Dew, and Penn State forward Tiffany Weimer. Also amongst the 2009 draftees was former United States national team star Brandi Chastain.
FC Gold Pride won their inaugural WPS game against the Boston Breakers on April 5, 2009. The club remained in strong contention until defender Kandace Wilson was injured during a home game against the Los Angeles Sol. After that, FC Gold Pride's second loss at the hands of the Washington Freedom marked the beginning of the club's slide to the bottom of the WPS rankings, where it would remain for the rest of the season. The club's transactions in the wake of Wilson's injury included signing Los Angeles Sol draftee Greer Barnes, elevating developmental player Marisa Abegg to the full roster, and returning Sissi to the field as a player.
In the end, FC Gold Pride failed to make the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs, after a must-win game against the Saint Louis Athletica ended in a 1–1 draw. The club finally snapped its ten-game winless streak with a final 3–2 win against the Washington Freedom on August 1, 2009. However, a last loss to Sky Blue FC and a tie with Saint Louis Athletica did not allow FC Gold Pride to avoid finishing last in the WPS standings.
The only player FC Gold Pride lost to the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft was defender Leigh Ann Robinson, chosen by the Atlanta Beat. Over the course of the offseason, the club traded Allison Whitworth to the Beat for the 10th- and 12th-overall picks in the 2010 WPS Draft, lost team co-captain Leslie Osborne and assists leader Tiffany Weimer to the Boston Breakers in free agency, loaned Eriko Arakawa back to her former Nadeshiko League club NTV Beleza for the remainder of her WPS contract, waived contract options for Adriane, Érika, and Formiga, and in February 2010 also waived Brandi Chastain.
FC Gold Pride
FC Gold Pride was an American professional women's soccer club based in the San Francisco Bay Area, which participated in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The club replaced the San Jose CyberRays of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association as the top-level women's soccer team in the San Francisco Bay Area. FC Gold Pride moved to its final home of Pioneer Stadium on the campus of CSU East Bay in June 2010 after opening their 2010 home schedule at the Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium. The club ceased operations in November 16, 2010, two years before the WPS folded, after struggling financially and unable to find new investors.
FC Gold Pride was founded on September 3, 2008, as the seventh and final team to join the new top-tier Women's Professional Soccer league. The team was owned by a group led by Brian and Nancy NeSmith, the former being the CEO of Sunnyvale-based internet technology company Blue Coat Systems. Former San Jose Clash midfielder and local youth coach Albertin Montoya was named the team's first head coach, while former CyberRays and Brazil national team player Sissi was announced as the team's first assistant coach on September 29, 2008.
On November 13, 2008, the team announced that it would play its home matches at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, which it shared with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer as well as the Santa Clara University soccer teams. The team revealed its official name of FC Gold Pride, and its logo of a lioness, to the public for the first time on November 19, 2008.
On September 16, 2008, WPS conducted its initial player allocation of United States national team players. The league allocated Nicole Barnhart, Leslie Osborne, and Rachel Buehler to FC Gold Pride. On September 24, 2008, the league allocated a further four players to the Bay Area via the 2008 WPS International Draft: strikers Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Eriko Arakawa (Japan), and Brazilian midfielder Formiga and defender Érika. The Pride signed a one-year deal with Formiga in February 2009, as well as Arakawa, post-draft discovery pick Adriane (Brazil), Érika, and Sinclair.
At the 2009 WPS Draft, FC Gold Pride drafted three former college players: UCLA midfielder Christina DiMartino, Notre Dame defender Carrie Dew, and Penn State forward Tiffany Weimer. Also amongst the 2009 draftees was former United States national team star Brandi Chastain.
FC Gold Pride won their inaugural WPS game against the Boston Breakers on April 5, 2009. The club remained in strong contention until defender Kandace Wilson was injured during a home game against the Los Angeles Sol. After that, FC Gold Pride's second loss at the hands of the Washington Freedom marked the beginning of the club's slide to the bottom of the WPS rankings, where it would remain for the rest of the season. The club's transactions in the wake of Wilson's injury included signing Los Angeles Sol draftee Greer Barnes, elevating developmental player Marisa Abegg to the full roster, and returning Sissi to the field as a player.
In the end, FC Gold Pride failed to make the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs, after a must-win game against the Saint Louis Athletica ended in a 1–1 draw. The club finally snapped its ten-game winless streak with a final 3–2 win against the Washington Freedom on August 1, 2009. However, a last loss to Sky Blue FC and a tie with Saint Louis Athletica did not allow FC Gold Pride to avoid finishing last in the WPS standings.
The only player FC Gold Pride lost to the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft was defender Leigh Ann Robinson, chosen by the Atlanta Beat. Over the course of the offseason, the club traded Allison Whitworth to the Beat for the 10th- and 12th-overall picks in the 2010 WPS Draft, lost team co-captain Leslie Osborne and assists leader Tiffany Weimer to the Boston Breakers in free agency, loaned Eriko Arakawa back to her former Nadeshiko League club NTV Beleza for the remainder of her WPS contract, waived contract options for Adriane, Érika, and Formiga, and in February 2010 also waived Brandi Chastain.