OKC Energy FC 2017

[d-usa]

Time for another season of soccer in Oklahoma City.

I hope that we will see some of the people who attended their first soccer games in Yukon last year at Taft Stadium, and I hope that the people at Taft extend a warm welcome to fellow soccer fans in the metro area.

Here is the current roster for 2017:



Here is the current preseason schedule:



And if you are a soccer star just waiting to be discovered, tryouts are next weekend:

http://www.energyfc.com/tryouts

[Laramie]

USL Oklahoma City Energy FC now has the OKC MSA market to really grow its brand.

As 2020 approaches, we should know more about our strong support for USL or aspiring efforts to make OKC a big league soccer community. The Energy FC organization will be closer to a 'go or no go' decision on a stadium plan on the Producers' COOP Mill site. An initial stadium could be built in phases.

The big challenges: Oklahoma City’s relatively modest market size and the lack of any new-stadium plan.

Oklahoma City being mentioned in MLS expansion article:

MLS Expansion: What Happens in Next Round?

Sacramento
San Diego
San Antonio
St. Louis
Cincinnati
Charlotte
Oklahoma City

“We are trying to take a very measured approach in how we get to our overall goal. We’re aspiring to get to the MLS. There’s no guarantee we’re going to get there. There are a lot of things that have to fall into place.”

http://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2016/...in-next-round/

[shadfar]

Thanks for the info! I love this!

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City continues to catch the attention of the MLS soccer world.

MLS Expansion Update: San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and More

MLS really loves downtown stadiums, so this seems like a step in the right direction. Not to mention, the source for that information was the league's official site.

SB Nation - http://www.thebluetestament.com/2016...nesota-atlanta

Points for MLS in OKC:

1.It can become a rival for the Sporting (If St.Louis plays in East and becomes the rival of Chicago)

2. It could also create a nice rivalry with FC Dallas. OKC is only 3 hours away.

3. It's the third youngest city without MLS in the U.S.

4. It's the 8th city with the largest amount of millenials without MLS

5. It has 6 (six) Fortune 1000 companies

6. It enlarges the footprint of the league (1 more state covered)

[kwhey]

OKC Energy will not have to wait long to see how it compares to its Western Conference competitors.

The fourth-year club will open its season with matches against three Western Conference playoff teams, including the season opener at Swope Park on March 25.

The Energy will play at Colorado Springs on April 1 before returning to Taft Stadium for its home opener vs. Rio Grande Valley on April 8. The match vs. Rio Grande is a rematch of the 2016 first round playoff match that the Energy scored two goals in second-half added time on the road to stun Rio Grande Valley.

Swope Park is the defending Western Conference champions and lost in last year's USL Cup to New York Red Bulls II. The Energy won three of its four matches vs. Swope Park last season, but Swope's 3-0 victory at Taft Stadium on Sept. 18 prevented the Energy from hosting a home playoff game.

Colorado Springs was the Western Conference third seed in last season's playoffs. OKC lost both of its 2016 matches to Colorado Springs, but the Energy signed former Colorado Springs starting striker Miguel Gonzalez during this past offseason.

Despite the playoff success, the Energy have yet to earn a regular season victory vs. Rio Grande Valley. OKC lost its first 2016 match at Rio Grande before having scoreless draws in the final two regular season meetings.

The USL announced each of its club's home openers Friday. The league is still finalizing the remainder of the schedule, which is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

[Laramie]

Energy FC Strikes Landmark Deal with Under Armour

The agreement is the first all-encompassing youth and professional soccer apparel partnership for the Under Armour brand in North America. As part of the ground-breaking agreement, Under Armour will outfit Energy FC’s USL club, the Energy FC U23 PDL team, and its youth partners across the city.

http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_articl...rer_id=2333971

[shadfar]

Energy FC Strikes Landmark Deal with Under Armour



http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_articl...rer_id=2333971

That's awesome! Question: does that mean the club is getting a new logo?

[d-usa]

The logo grew on me, but I'm hoping for an exciting new kit.

[bradh]

Logo needs to stay to continue to build the brand. Very excited to see the new apparel offerings from UA. I settled on an Admiral coaches polo that was a size too big two seasons ago and I need replacement.

[Laramie]

Logo needs to stay to continue to build the brand. Very excited to see the new apparel offerings from UA. I settled on an Admiral coaches polo that was a size too big two seasons ago and I need replacement.

Hope they continue with the same logo or tweak in a little. So use to seeing the Energy FC brand.

[elitespy]

Same logo, new kit design. From what I've seen the new kits should be pretty nice.

[bradh]

Talking to a few players Friday at BW3 they seem stoked for the new stuff. Admiral wasn't bad but UA is UA

[_Kyle]

Are they still planning on building the soccer arena downtown?

[Laramie]

Are they still planning on building the soccer arena downtown?

The 37 acre Producers' COOP Mill site which sits west off the Shields Bypass Boulevard downtown has been mention by Bob Funk Jr., (pending site purchase) as the future home for a soccer specific stadium as the potential springboard for bringing MLS to OKC.

Once they get this site cleared of the clinking clanking clattering collection of collagenous junk; the Oklahoma City Skyline will shine.

[_Kyle]

The 37 acre Producers' COOP Mill site which sits west off the Shields Bypass Boulevard downtown has been mention by Bob Funk Jr., (pending site purchase) as the future home for a soccer specific stadium as the potential springboard for bringing MLS to OKC.

Once they get this site cleared of the clinking clanking clattering collection of collagenous junk; the Oklahoma City Skyline will shine.

That would be amazing if we got this downtown!

[Tydude]

http://www.espnfc.com/team/oklahoma-...fc/17831/index

Energy FC is finally on ESPN.com We are big leagues now

[warreng88]

New Under Armour kits up brand stake for Energy

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record March 29, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – At the first game on March 25, the Oklahoma City Energy FC debuted its new kit and brought the uniform’s brand, Under Armour, into a new division.

The kit and other team apparel were on the shelves at the Energy FC’s Automobile Alley store before Saturday’s game. Merchandise manager Sean Morley said the kit has become a popular commodity at the store. The jerseys were sold at the team’s uniform reveal on March 22. They were available that night on the website, where some fans immediately bought them.

Morley said he’s had several people visiting the store, checking out the new kits. They are priced the same as the team’s last Admiral Sportswear-brand kits, with tops at $75 for adults and $60 for youth.

The Energy deal is Under Armour’s first all-encompassing youth and professional apparel partnership. It’s a four-year agreement.

The switch to Under Armour brings brand recognition to the Energy, said Jason Hawkins, community development executive director. He said when the team started looking for a new kit provider, the top priority was getting a high-end brand. He said the search wasn’t specific to merchandise price point, but they were conscious of the market.

“It was about raising a brand standard to a Dick’s Sporting Goods status,” he said.

The previous kit company, Admiral, is popular in the soccer world, but not as recognizable to casual fans, Morley said.

Ultimately, the partnership will benefit both entities, he said. People will buy the merchandise because it’s UA, which will get the Energy FC name in the public more often. Other people will purchase the items because they have the Energy FC logo, so the UA merchandise will be visible with that branding.

“Soccer is still a growth opportunity for (Under Armour),” Morley said. “They will keep expanding into soccer and can use us an example.”

Hawkins and Morley said the company offers several clothing options, not only for merchandise but for outfitting the players. From Hawkins’ perspective, UA can keep the players cool with wicking material and warm with the cold-gear product line.

Finding the right products for the store can be a little overwhelming, Morley said. He has to remember he’s buying for customers and not his closet.

“There are so many cool things available to us that we didn’t have in the past,” he said.

But Morley isn’t stocking the entire store with UA merchandise, and the company is fine with that, he said.

Fans can still get their first Energy T-shirt for less than $20. But if they want to buy a UA shirt, the price will be a little higher. The price margin at the store hasn’t changed, he said.

Hawkins said he’s heard a lot of praise about the change, especially with the addition of a fluorescent-green-kit option. There is also merchandise designed specifically for men and women.

“To me, Under Armour is a brand that even if you didn’t have our logo on it, it’s a brand that people would say, ‘I want to wear that,’” he said.

[AP]

[AP]

I am a fan of the blue away kits. The home kits are mediocre, imo.

[tyeomans]

I don't care for these. Looks like shirts for First Fidelity and not the Energy. Plus, why use two different greens? Seems as if they belong to two different teams.

[d-usa]

I think the home kit is an improvement of the old home kit, but I really like the away kit.

[HangryHippo]

I think the home kit is an improvement of the old home kit, but I really like the away kit.

Same here.

[Lazio85]

I don't care for these. Looks like shirts for First Fidelity and not the Energy. Plus, why use two different greens? Seems as if they belong to two different teams.

No different then other Premier League teams.

[d-usa]

Shirt sponsorship is a big, and pretty normal, thing in soccer.

[tyeomans]

Shirt sponsorship is a big, and pretty normal, thing in soccer.

Why do they plaster it so big across the front? They must pay the majority for the shirts?