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Reading United AC is an American
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
team based in
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
. Founded in 1995, the team plays in
USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
, the fourth tier of the
American Soccer Pyramid The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur association football, soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Although sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are no ...
. The club plays its home games at
Alvernia University Alvernia University is a Private university, private Franciscans, Franciscan university in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded as Alvernia College in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis, the school gained university status in 2008. History ...
. The club's colors are white, black, gold, and navy blue. United formerly fielded a team in the Super-20 League, a league for players seventeen to twenty years of age under the
United Soccer Leagues United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
umbrella. Prior to the 2010 season, the team was known as the Reading Rage. On December 21, 2009, the Rage organization announced its agreement with
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
's
Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...
to become their official minor league affiliate, and re-branded as Reading United A.C. with immediate effect. Reading United is one of only three teams in
USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
history to reach consecutive league finals - reaching in 2018 and 2019. The team has had a great deal of success promoting amateur players to the professional ranks, with over 130 former players having gone on to either play professionally, cap for their country in international play, or be drafted by an MLS team.


History

The Reading-American Soccer Club was established in the early 1900s under the name of Germania Soccer Club by a group of German immigrant soccer players and soccer enthusiasts. On April 26, 1926 Germania merged with the Reading Liederkranz (Reading's German-American club), and the Sport Club legally became the Sports Division of the Reading Liederkranz. Later, under the direction of Germania and Liederkranz members Werner Kraheck and Peter Weiss, the Reading Berks Junior Soccer League was born, providing a foundation for local youth soccer clubs to flourish. The Germania teams were the precursor to the now common “premier” teams. After the Germania program ended in the late 1970s/early 1980s, the premier teams became the Reading Berks Select program whereby each club could send several of their “top players” to participate in tournaments and training but then return them to their club teams. After several iterations, the Reading Berks Select teams became known as Reading Berks United, later RBU, and finally Berks Soccer Academy aka B.S.A. Rage. Many people in the greater Reading area are surprised to learn that the Reading United A.C. (formerly Reading Rage) is the 2nd longest tenured minor league team in the area (behind the R-Phils). Berks Professional Sports introduced the Reading Rage minor league team 15 years ago with a squad that featured a great blend of local talent and “imported” stars. The Reading Rage would not have begun without the efforts of former Penn State All-American Archie Moylan. Archie was playing professional soccer and featured as a player and General Manager for the Philadelphia Freedom. Archie worked tirelessly to recruit an ownership team and staff. In 1996 his dream took the field. While a lot of the players, staff and even owners of the original team moved on, Archie's dream stayed alive. The Rage teams of the 1990s did well, with Archie leading the team to the playoffs in their 2nd season, and capturing a D3 Pro League (precursor to today's USL2) Mid-Atlantic Division Crown in 1997. Archie Moylan continued to build the Rage brand, and the team was rewarded for his management efforts by being named Franchise of the Year. In 1998 Archie further expanded his roles as he took over as head coach of the 3rd year program. The Rage teams of the 1990s featured a lot of local talent including former Wilson H.S. stars Ed Sep, Matt Wolf, Chris Arthur, and Drew Kauffman; Weiser stars Tom Auchenbach and Steve Thomas; and of course Fleetwood greats Keith Schlegel and former US Men's National Team member Troy Snyder. The team played at Fleetwood H.S. for two years prior to transitioning to Central Catholic Stadium in St. Lawrence, where they played for a number of years before moving to Albright College and finally at Exeter's Don Thomas Stadium. Tragically, Archie was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2000. In recognition of Archie's efforts and accomplishments, the United Soccer Leagues has established The Archie Moylan Award to honor a member of the USL family who has exhibited outstanding humanitarian qualities or overcome extraordinary adversity in hopes to give back to the soccer community through their actions and deeds. Past winners include executive Marcie Laumann with the Hampton Roads Piranhas (W-League), player Todd Elkins for the Southern California Seahorses (PDL), and player, coach, and USL staff member, Stuart Bracher. Each of these individuals has exemplified the ability to not only overcome adversity but transform it into an opportunity to effectuate positive change by serving as an inspiration to others. This year's honoree was Betsy McAdams. McAdams died in June of brain cancer. She was an original employee of the Charleston Battery since its inception in 1993 and went on to serve in a number of roles including Director of Operations and Director of Finance & Business Administration. She was named Chief Operating Officer in May 2008. USL renamed the Key Grip Award to the Betsy McAdams award because she defined the behind the scenes employee. Due to the loss of Archie, a string of losing years, and decreasing fan attendance, in 2004 the team transitioned from the Pro Soccer League (USL2) to the rapidly growing PDL. The pro-am PDL allowed focus on younger players and generally less overhead and costs for franchise operations. After some internal shuffling and under the stewardship of owner and general manager Jerry Wojton, the team regained in strength, with Jerry eventually landing seasoned English Club Crystal Palace's Academy Director Derek Broadley to coach the team in 2005. Derek brought his passion for player development and quickly reignited local interest in the team and league with his attractive style of play and confidence in his coaching methodologies. While Derek's team's hovered around .500, he returned the Rage teams to the winning side of things, posting a 7–5–4 2007 record. One of the players Derek introduced to the Reading Rage in 2007 was a central defender from Boston College, Brendan Burke. Derek left the Reading Rage in the fall of 2007 to take over the Bermuda National team position. On January 13, 2011, Reading United saw four former players, including three from the 2010 roster, drafted at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore, Maryland. 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year C. J. Sapong was selected 10th overall by
Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
, followed by
Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog (born August 1, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward. Career College and amateur Hertzog attended Antietam Middle Senior H.S. scoring 107 career goals before enrolling at the Pennsylvania State U ...
who was selected 13th overall by
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, 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 (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
. Levi Houapeu was selected in the third round by
Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...
with the 41st pick overall. Former Reading Rage player, Zarek Valentin, was selected 4th overall by
Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conf ...
. In 2012, three more alumni were selected in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, held in Kansas City, MO. Andrew Wenger became the United's first alumnus to be selected with the #1 overall pick by the Montreal Impact. Defender Matt Hedges was selected soon after by
FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...
with the #11 overall pick. For the second straight year, the
Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...
picked a United alum, picking Raymon Gaddis in the 2nd round of the draft. Probable
Generation Adidas Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S ...
signings Billy Schuler and Brian "Cobi" Span were likely first round picks, but chose to sign overseas rather than enter the MLS SuperDraft. Four other former players were also selected during the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft, including Dawyne Smith (#3 by the
New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...
), Brian Ownby (#7 by the
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
), Evans Frimpong (#9 by the Chicago Fire), and Christian Barreiro (#50 by the
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, 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 (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
). Just over a week after the Supplemental Draft (January 25, 2012), former keeper Jeremy Vuolo signed a professional contract with the
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, 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 (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
, after spending his first professional season abroad with
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
's AC Oulu. On December 28, 2013, Reading United announced that David Castellanos was chosen as the club's head coach for the 2014 season.


Name, colors, and badge

The primary colors of Reading United A.C. are black, gold, and navy blue. The black and gold derive from Reading's civic seal and to the colors of the Germania Liederkranz, one of the area's original soccer clubs. Navy and gold represent the traditional state colors of Pennsylvania. The logo for Reading United A.C. includes a stylized train that alludes to the famous
Reading Railroad The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976. Commonly called the Reading Railr ...
, which was one of the first railroads in the United States. The train depiction contains a soccer ball encircled by 11 bolts, symbolizing the 11 players on a soccer field. The shamrocks are a tribute to an
Irishman The Irish ( or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been continually inhab ...
named Paul "Archie" Moylan, the Reading Rage's former team captain, general manager, and coach, who died of cancer in 2000. The secondary logo features a keystone, a symbol used officially by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
alluding to its colonial designation as the "Keystone State." "United" is a common soccer appellation used in the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
and represents its relationship to the Philadelphia Union. The initials A.C. stand for "Athletic Club", which indicates the team's goal of expanding its business to incorporate other sports and fitness programs.


Notable former players

''This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.'' * Christian Barreiro * Will Bates * Alex Bono * Rayane Boukemia * Deshorn Brown * Tyrell Burgess * Ian Christianson * Adam Clay * Greg Cochrane * Joey Dezart * Alex Dixon * J. T. Dorsey * Leo Fernandes * Ryan Finley * Mark Forrest * Evans Frimpong * Ray Gaddis * Adam Gazda * Matt Hedges * Ian Hennessy *
Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog (born August 1, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward. Career College and amateur Hertzog attended Antietam Middle Senior H.S. scoring 107 career goals before enrolling at the Pennsylvania State U ...
* David Horst * Levi Houapeu * Scott Krotee * Simon Lefebvre * Damion Lowe * Connor Maloney * Mo Adams * JJ Williams * Paul Marie * Napo Matsoso * John McCarthy *
Luke Mulholland Luke Mulholland (born 7 August 1988) is an English former association football, footballer and current scout for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer. Career College and amateur Mulholland began his career with English non-league side Lancast ...
* Steve Neumann * Jimmy Ockford * Stephen Okai * Brian Ownby * Jelani Peters * Frantzdy Pierrot * Jeremy Rafanello * Pierre Reedy * Pedro Ribeiro * C. J. Sapong * Chad Severs * Billy Schuler * Dawyne Smith * Brian Span * Sheldon Sullivan * Ben Sweat * Zarek Valentin * Jeremy Vuolo * Andrew Wenger * Aaron Wheeler * Jason Yeisley *
Zach Zandi Zachary Zandi (born July 18, 1996) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL Championship. Early life Zandi played youth soccer for West Chester United and Penn Fusion Soccer Acade ...
* Kamal Miller * Ben Lundt * Irad Young


Year-by-year


Honors

1997 *D3Pro Mid Atlantic Division Champions *Franchise of the Year 2008 *PDL Mid-Atlantic Division Champions *PDL Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions *PDL National Semifinalists *All-League: Adam Gazda 2009 *PDL Mid-Atlantic Division Champions *PDL Regular Season National Champions *PDL Player of the Year: Aaron Wheeler *All-PDL: Aaron Wheeler *All-Eastern Conference: Aaron Wheeler, Adam Gazda *All-PDL: Aaron Wheeler *USL Marketing Award 2010 *PDL Mid-Atlantic Division Champions *PDL Eastern Conference Champions *PDL National Semifinalists *All-PDL: Matt Hedges *PDL Defender of the Year Finalist: Matt Hedges *PDL Coach of the Year Finalist: Brendan Burke *All-Eastern Conference: CJ Sapong, Luke Mulholland, Matt Hedges 2011 *PDL Rookie of the Year Finalist: Brian Holt *All-Eastern Conference: Stephen Okai, Matthew Baker, Brian Holt *PDL Communication Award 2012 *PDL Top Goalscorer: Deshorn Brown (13 goals) *2012 All-PDL: Deshorn Brown *2012 All-Eastern Conference: Deshorn Brown, Stephen Okai, Greg Cochrane 2013 *All-Eastern Conference: Jason Plumhoff, Damion Lowe *All-PDL: Jason Plumhoff, Damion Lowe *PDL Communication Award 2014 *All-Eastern Conference: Alex Bono *PDL Goalkeeper of the Year Finalist: Alex Bono 2016 *Mid-Atlantic Division Champions *All-Eastern Conference: Paul Marie 2017 *All-Eastern Conference: Aaron Molloy *All-Eastern Conference Honorable Mention: Alexandre Bouillennec, Lamine Conte, Frantzdy Pierrot *All-PDL: Aaron Molloy *Young Player of the Year: Aaron Molloy 2018 *PDL Mid Atlantic Division Champions *PDL Eastern Conference Champions *PDL Finalist *All-PDL: Aaron Molloy *All-Eastern Conference: Aaron Molloy, Khori Bennett, Kamal Miller, Bennett Strutz *PDL Franchise of the Year *PDL Coach of the Year: Alan McCann *PDL Volunteer of the Year: Jeff Blankenbiller 2019  *USL League Two Mid Atlantic Division Champions *USL League Two Eastern Conference Champions *USL League Two Finalist *USL League Two Defender of the Year: Lamine Conte *All-USL League Two: Lamine Conte, Felipe Hideki *All-Eastern Conference: Lamine Conte, Felipe Hideki *Playoffs: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 *Division Champions: 1997, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019 *National Semifinalists: 2008, 2010 *National Finalists: 2018, 2019 *Eastern Conference Runner-up: 2016 *US Open Cup Qualifiers: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019


Coaches

* Mike Moyer (1996–1997) * Archie Moylan (1998–2000) * Eric Puls (2001–2002) * Seamus O'Connor (2003–2004) * Derek Broadley (2005–2007) *
Brendan Burke Brendan Gilmore Burke (December 8, 1988 – February 5, 2010) was an athlete and student manager at Miami University for the Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey, RedHawks men's ice hockey team. The youngest son of Brian Burke (ice hockey), Brian Bu ...
(2008–2013) * David Castellanos (2014–2015) * Stephen Hogan (2016–2017) * Alan McCann (2018–2020) * Casey Moore (2021–present)


Stadia

* Stadium at Fleetwood High School; Fleetwood, Pennsylvania (1996-1997, 2003) * St. Lawrence Stadium at Central Catholic High School;
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
(1998-2002) * Gene L. Shirk Stadium at
Albright College Albright College is a private liberal arts college in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1856 and had an enrollment of 1,652 students as of fall 2023. History Albright College traces its founding to 1856 when "Union Sem ...
;
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
(2004, 2012) * Don Thomas Stadium at Exeter Township Senior High School;
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
(2005–2011, 2013, 2015–2017, 2021) * Stadium at Oley Valley High School; Oley Valley,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
2 games (2011, 2013) * Gurski Stadium at Wilson High School;
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
(2014, 2018–2019) * Stadium at
Alvernia University Alvernia University is a Private university, private Franciscans, Franciscan university in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded as Alvernia College in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis, the school gained university status in 2008. History ...
;
Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...
(2022-pres)


References


External links


Official Site
{{Reading, Pennsylvania Association football clubs established in 1995 USL League Two teams Amateur soccer teams in Pennsylvania Soccer clubs in Pennsylvania USL Second Division teams Sports in Reading, Pennsylvania 1995 establishments in Pennsylvania