Burlingame Dragons FC
Full name | Burlingame Dragons Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Founded | 2014 | ||
Ground | Burlingame High School Burlingame, California | ||
Capacity | 4,000 | ||
Owners | David Ebersman Nick Swinmurn | ||
Head Coach | Eric Bucchere | ||
League | Premier Development League | ||
2015 | 1st, Southwest Division Playoffs: Conference Semifinals | ||
Website | http://www.burlingamedragons.com/ | ||
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Burlingame Dragons FC is an American soccer club based in Burlingame, California. Founded in 2014, the team will play in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, starting in the 2015 season. The team is owned by Nick Swinmurn, founder of Zappos.com and a minority investor in the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and David Ebersman, former CFO of Facebook and Genentech.[1]
The team plays its home games at Burlingame High School stadium. BDFC signed an affiliation agreement with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer to be their official U23 team on December 9, 2014. The Dragons replaced the San Jose Earthquakes U23 squad that played in the PDL in 2014.[2][3] Dana Taylor, former Earthquakes U23 and Cal State Stanislaus coach, was hired as the Dragons first head coach on January 27, 2015.[4] The following season, Eric Bucchere replaced Taylor as head coach.
Seasons
2015 - Southwest Division Champions
Burlingame Dragons FC’s inaugural season in the PDL was capped by its first ever division title, a playoff win and an appearance in the Western Conference Final Four.
In their debut season, the Dragons started strong with wins over the Fresno Fuego[5] and the Golden State Misioneros.[6] On May 29, they suffered their only loss of the season with a 3-0 loss to Ventura County; however, they finished the season strong going 8-0-2 to take the Southwest Division title. In the Western Conference Championships, they avenged their only loss by defeating the Fusion in the first round (1-0) but then lost in the semi-finals to the Seattle Sounders FC U-23 1-0.[7]
The Dragons also played in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by inheriting the spot earned by the San Jose Earthquakes U23 team. They lost in overtime 2-1 to Sonoma County Sol in the first round.[8]
On October 19, 2015 the Dragons hired a new President, Jordan Gardner and a new Vice Price President/General Manager Andrew Gardner.
Year-by-year
Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Southwest | Conference Semifinals | 1st Round | 1,700 |
Honors
- Southwest Division Champions: 2015
Head Coaches
- Dana Taylor (2015)
- Eric Bucchere (2016-present)
References
- ^ "PDL Welcomes Burlingame Dragons FC". United Soccer Leagues (USL). December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Dragons FC soccer swoops into Burlingame". Nathan Mollat. The Daily Journal. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "San Jose Earthquakes announce new USL PDL affiliate: The Burlingame Dragons". Robert Jonas. SB Nation. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Burlingame Dragons Name Taylor Head Coach". United Soccer Leagues (USL). January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ Jonas, Robert (May 15, 2015), Burlingame Dragons FC win first-ever PDL match, securing an impressive 1-0 victory against the Fresno Fuego, Center Line Soccer, retrieved August 25, 2015
- ^ Sperber, Marc (May 17, 2015), RECAP: Misioneros fall 1-0 to the Burlingame Dragons, www.lamisionerosfc.com, retrieved August 25, 2015
- ^ Sounders U23 win Western Conference Championship, soundersu23.com, retrieved August 25, 2015
- ^ Jaxon, Tim (May 14, 2015), 2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Substitutes steal show as Sonoma County Sol edge Burlingame Dragons 2-1 in OT, retrieved August 25, 2015