Crystal Palace Baltimore was an American professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team based in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, US. Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace. The club was a member of the old USL Second Division and the temporary

USSF Division 2 Professional League The USSF Division 2 Professional League (D2 Pro League) was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding Un ...

. Following its 2010 season, the club severed ties with the London-based Crystal Palace and announced plans to take a one-year hiatus in order to execute a reorganization involving a complete

rebranding Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investo ...

and the possibility of a new

soccer-specific stadium Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi- ...

downtown Baltimore Downtown Baltimore is the central business district of the city of Baltimore traditionally bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west, Franklin Street to the north, President Street to the east and the Inner Harbor area to the ...

. On December 3, 2010 the franchise stated it intended to relaunch for the start of the 2012

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league ba ...

campaign. However no further announcements were forthcoming from the club.

History

Genesis of the franchise

Crystal Palace Baltimore was established on May 5, 2006 by Crystal Palace's

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

Simon Jordan Simon Jordan (born 24 September 1967) is an English businessman who made his fortune in the mobile phone industry. In 2000, he purchased Crystal Palace Football Club and remained chairman of the club until administration in early 2010. In 2002 ...

, Vice Chairman Dominic Jordan,

Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Phil Alexander Philip James Alexander (born 4 September 1962) is an English former association footballer and American footballer. He was appointed Chief Executive of Crystal Palace in 1996, He has recently been appointed CEO of Bristol City the biggest team ...

Director of Football A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...

Bob Dowie and Jim Cherneski, the new American-based club's Sporting Director. This was the first trans-

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

partnership of its kind in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

."Palace Baltimore To Sit 2011 NASL Season Out," Crystal Palace Baltimore, Friday, December 3, 2010.
The Baltimore franchise originally intended to be in the USL Premier Development League (PDL). Instead, it joined the USL Second Division (USL-2) when it began playing a full schedule of contests in 2007. The team's original official title was Crystal Palace F.C. USA until January 27, 2010, when it was changed to the more popularly accepted name Crystal Palace Baltimore."A Whole New Ballgame for Crystal Palace Baltimore," Crystal Palace Baltimore, Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

The two Crystal Palaces, head-to-head

Crystal Palace Baltimore's debut, its only match played in 2006, was against its sister club at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Glenn Warner Soccer Facility The Glenn Warner Soccer Facility is a soccer-specific stadium at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The college soccer facility is named for beloved longtime coach Glenn Warner. It was the site of Crystal Palace Baltimore' ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

on July 15. The team consisted of the local Maryland-based

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

' top players, including Chris Seitz,

A. J. DeLaGarza Adolph Joseph DeLaGarza (born November 4, 1987) is a former professional soccer player. He was a constant fixture in the LA Galaxy teams of the early 2010s that won three MLS Cups and two Supporters' Shields. A United States international in 201 ...

and

Maurice Edu Maurice Edu (born April 18, 1986) is an American former professional soccer player. A highly touted prospect, Edu was the first overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft and won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award with Toronto. His performances for To ...

Rade Kokovic Rade may refer to: * E De people, a people group in Southeast Asia also called "Rhade" or "Rade" * places in Lower-Saxony, Germany: ** Rade, Neu Wulmstorf, a village in the district of Harburg * places in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany: ** Rade, Stei ...

scored the Americans' first-ever goal to tie the game in the 30th minute, but the home side eventually lost 3–1. The second contest between the two squads resulted in Baltimore surrendering a goal in the 28th minute and being shut out 1–0 at

Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international fo ...

on September 7, 2007. The third match of the series was played at

Regency Furniture Stadium Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball park in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, ...

in Waldorf, Maryland on July 13, 2009. Val Teixeira tied the score at one in the 18th minute and Jordan Seabrook brought the team within a goal at 3–2 in the 59th, but the Americans dropped a 5–2 decision.

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

In its initial appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (LHUSOC) tournament, Crystal Palace Baltimore lost its first-round game to the Ocean City Barons 1–0 at

Carey Stadium Carey Stadium is an open-air multi-purpose stadium located just off the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. The stadium is primarily used by the Ocean City School District for Ocean City High School's football, soccer, and lacrosse teams. Care ...

Ocean City, New Jersey Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the principal city of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Cape May County and is part of the Philadelphia- Wilmington- Camden, ...

on June 12, 2007. The squad played most of the contest with a one-man disadvantage after Harold Urquijo was red carded in the 22nd minute. The lone goal was surrendered just before halftime. The 2008 run began on June 10 at

Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private, evangelical Christian university in Azusa, California. The university was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900, in Whittier, California, and began offering degrees in 1939. The uni ...

Azusa, California Azusa (Tongva: ''Asuksa-nga'') is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Its population was 50,000 in 2020, ...

with a 2–1 win over the

Los Angeles Legends LA Laguna FC was an American soccer team based in the Los Angeles area, United States. Founded in 2010, the team played in the Premier Development League (PDL) (now USL League Two), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southw ...

Pat Healey Pat Healey (born December 20, 1985) is an American soccer coach and former soccer player who is currently the head coach and general manager of the Harrisburg Heat in the Major Arena Soccer League. College Healey, who was born in Baltimore, M ...

scored both goals for the winning side, the second one breaking a 1–1 deadlock in the 89th minute. Two weeks later on June 24, Palace earned another away victory by outlasting the Harrisburg City Islanders in a

penalty shootout The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

2–2 (3–1). Baltimore became the only USL-2 team to advance to the quarterfinals of that year's tournament with a 2–0 upset of the

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

at Broadneck High School in Annapolis on July 1. The goalscorers were Andrew Marshall in the 18th minute and Gary Brooks in the 75th. Even though they took the defending Cup champion

New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compe ...

to a penalty shootout, Palace's efforts to reach the semifinals fell short 1–1 (3–5) at

Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capa ...

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford. According to 2020 Census, the population of the city is 74,135. Among the southernmost of the communities encompassed wi ...

on July 8. Palace failed to progress beyond the First Round in each of the next two years, being shut out on the road both times. In a match postponed a day due to a soggy pitch caused by rainstorms, they fell at Ocean City again 3–0 on June 10, 2009. They took the

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL-1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional ...

into

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

on June 15, 2010, but surrendered a Matthew Delicate goal in the 119th minute and lost 1–0.

USL Second Division

Crystal Palace Baltimore's

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...

inaugural year in USL-2 began with a four-game losing streak. After dropping a 4–1 decision in its season opener at the Charlotte Eagles on April 20, Palace endured three straight home shutouts. This was followed up by a seven-match undefeated stretch, but with only three victories. They closed out the campaign winning six of its final seven contests, powered by the midseason acquisition of Brooks, the team's leading scorer with seven goals in only nine games.2007 Season Results & Player Statistics – Crystal Palace Baltimore.
/ref> He and Matthew Mbuta, who contributed five goals, were named to the All-League First Team. Baltimore finished in fifth place, but barely missed the playoffs because it was the final season in which only the top four sides qualified. The beginning of

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

was the reverse of the previous year as Baltimore ran off five victories, the first four being shutouts.2008 Season Results & Player Statistics – Crystal Palace Baltimore.
/ref> Despite surrendering the same number of goals as they produced, the ballclub's ascent to fourth place ensured its first postseason appearance.
Like in the U.S. Open Cup seven weeks earlier, its first rounder at home with the defending USL-2 champion City Islanders on August 13 was a 2–2 stalemate that was decided by penalty kicks, with Baltimore prevailing 7–6. Three nights later on August 16, they were denied the opportunity to play in the championship match with a 2–1 loss to the top-seeded Eagles in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

.Crystal Palace Baltimore at Charlotte Eagles 1–2, Saturday, August 16, 2008 (box score) – United Soccer Leagues.

Shintaro Harada is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender. Career Japan Shin played alongside Japanese national hero Shunsuke Nakamura, who also started his career at Yokohoma. In 2002 acquired by Omiya Ardija and ...

, Palace's lone representative on the All-League First Team, scored in the fifth minute for an early lead the squad would take into the second half. Palace entered

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

without Brooks, whose

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

was not renewed even though his seven goals in each of the previous two campaigns led the team both times. Baltimore, scoring a league-low 16 goals, fell to sixth place and missed the playoffs.USL Second Division Final Standings – 2009.
They were hurt by a pair of slumps. After opening with two wins and a draw, they went without a victory in seven of its next eight contests (1–2–5). They finished winless in six of seven (1–2–4), including being shut out in its final three games. Teixeira was the top scorer with only five goals. The highlight of the season was Harada receiving All-League First Team honors again for leading the circuit's second-best defense.

USSF Division-2 Professional League

Previously expected to move up to the USL First Division (USL-1), Crystal Palace Baltimore announced on November 20, 2009 that they instead would join the new North American Soccer League (NASL). After

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...

s were filed and heated press statements exchanged, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) declared they would sanction neither the NASL nor USL-1 for the coming year, and ordered both to work together on a plan to temporarily allow its teams to play a 2010 season. The interim solution was announced on January 7, 2010 with the new

comprising clubs from both quarreling circuits."Division 2 Professional League To Operate in 2010," United States Soccer Federation, Thursday, January 7, 2010.
Pete Medd, the co-manager with Cherneski since the franchise's inaugural campaign, relinquished his sideline duties on April 14, two days before Palace's season opener. He continued as team

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, a role he had also held since 2007. The voluntary move enabled him to concentrate more on the ballclub's business development. Due to a system in which eight of twelve teams qualified for the postseason, Palace was not eliminated from playoff contention until three games remained on its 2010 schedule. They finished the season in the USSF Division-2 cellar with a 6–6–18 record, the worst in franchise history. They were outscored 55–24, shut out in 14 of 30 matches and ended the season with a club-record eight consecutive losses. Its 2–2–11 performance at home is attributed to the team hosting contests in five different ballparks within the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. After starting with four at

UMBC Stadium UMBC Stadium is a 4,500-seat stadium on the campus of UMBC in Catonsville, Maryland. The stadium opened in 1976. It is home to the UMBC Retrievers men's and women's lacrosse, field hockey, and track and field programs, as well as an alternate ven ...

, they eventually played four more at the Maryland SoccerPlex and one each at

Baltimore Polytechnic Institute The Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, colloquially referred to as BPI, Poly, and The Institute, is a U.S. public high school founded in 1883. Established as an all-male manual trade / vocational school by the Baltimore City Council and the Balti ...

's Lumsden-Scott Stadium and the

Ridley Athletic Complex The Rev. Harold Ridley, S.J. Intercollegiate Athletic Complex is a multi-sport facility owned and operated by Loyola University Maryland. It is located west of the main campus in Baltimore, Maryland, on a parcel of land at the southwest corner ...

before settling at Calvert Hall College High School's Paul Angelo Russo Stadium for a total of five.

Reorganization in 2011

Crystal Palace Baltimore announced on December 3, 2010 the end of its four-year relationship with Crystal Palace and that it would not field a team for the

2011 North American Soccer League season The 2011 North American Soccer League season is the 44th season of second division soccer in the United States and the inaugural season of the newly created North American Soccer League. Earlier in 2011, the league's likelihood of earning second ...

in order to reorganize its operations. The severing of ties was attributed to the financial difficulties that resulted from the (then) English

Football League Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the E ...

side entering

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...

. At the center of the reorganization was the possibility of a new

. The

of the franchise began with plans on changing its name, and it intended to relaunch for the start of the 2012 NASL campaign. However, as previously noted there have been no announcements or actions from the organization to indicate if it will ever re-launch in the NASL or any other league.

Year-by-year

Players

2010 roster

''as at October 1, 2010''

Staff

Stadiums

;

(2006 – one match) * Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium; Annapolis, Maryland (2007) * Maryland SoccerPlex;

Germantown, Maryland Germantown is an urbanized census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. With a population of 91,249 as of 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, Germantown is the third most populous place in Maryland, after the city of Baltimore ...

(2007 – one match, 2010 – four matches) * Lawrence E. Knight Stadium at Broadneck High School; Annapolis, Maryland (2008 – one match) * Lumsden-Scott Stadium at

;

(2008, 2010 – one match each) *

;

Catonsville, Maryland Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...

(2008–2010) * Paul Angelo Russo Stadium at Calvert Hall College High School;

Towson, Maryland Towson () is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincor ...

(2010 – five matches) *

; Baltimore, Maryland (2010 – one match)

References

External links

*
Goff, Steven. "Foot in U.S., But Eyes On England," ''Washington Post'', Tuesday, May 22, 2007.

{{Maryland Sports Association football clubs established in 2006 Crystal Palace F.C. Soccer clubs in Baltimore Soccer clubs in Maryland USL Second Division teams 2006 establishments in Maryland 2010 disestablishments in Maryland Association football clubs disestablished in 2010