The Austin Lone Stars were a soccer club that competed in the SISL , USISL and United Soccer Leagues from 1987 to 2000. The club originally started in 1987/88 as the Austin Sockadillos in the original indoor SISL league. They became the Austin Lone Stars in 1994.
90-536: In 1987, Fernando Marcos established the Austin Sockadillos. Coached by Tony Simoes and assisted by Wolfgang Suhnholz , the team played in the semi-professional Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SISL). The team started their 1987-1988 season with a scrimmage against the reign Major Indoor Soccer League defending champions Dallas Sidekicks . They started the 1987 against the defending SISL champions Arlington Arrows , losing 2-1 in their opening match. After
180-751: A Lenin Steenkamp golden goal . However, their overwhelming success in the regular season eventually meant nothing as they shockingly lost to the Mid-Michigan Bucks in the Central Conference Semifinals; despite the early exit, Menace's Czech striker Tomas Boltnar was awarded the PDL MVP award, the PDL Rookie of the Year awards, and was the league's top scorer with 24 goals, while head coach Laurie Calloway
270-466: A Segunda División match away at Figueres . First choice goalkeeper Molondro was injured after half an hour, and Marcos was brought on to finish the game, conceding twice as Figueres won the game 2–1. With Molondro still out of action, Marcos made his first start in the Copa del Rey round of 16 second leg match at home to Recreativo de Huelva three days later. With everything to play for following
360-490: A playoff with Español . Marcos's three appearances that year proved to be his only first team action with Mallorca, and for 1989–90 he was sent to the farm team Mallorca Atlético in Segunda División B . He was instantly first choice, making his debut on 3 September in the opening match of the season at home to Manlleu , which the visitors won 2–1. He started 26 consecutive league matches, but following
450-472: A 1–0 home win over Gimnàstic de Tarragona on 4 March he was dropped in favour of Molondro, and didn't play for the club again. He left Mallorca altogether at the end of the season. While Mallorca Atlético finished the 1989–90 season in 14th, only four points clear of relegation, their rivals Orihuela Deportiva topped the group and were promoted to the Segunda División . The Valencian club would be Marcos's next destination, as he joined in
540-448: A 1–1 home draw with Dos Hermanas at Estadio Escribano Castilla , and from then on he played 18 consecutive matches until the end of the season. Despite this run in the team, he left the club following their 2–1 home loss to Polideportivo Almería on the last day of the season. In 2000, 31 year old Marcos joined Polideportivo Ejido , and proceeded to have one of the best seasons of his career. His Ejido debut came against
630-538: A 2–1 away win over Manacor on 1 May, was Marcos's 32nd appearance in a successful season, and he returned to Albacete that summer. His long-awaited Albacete and La Liga debut arrived on 18 September 1994, after more than three years at the club, as he started in the home fixture against Real Madrid at Estadio Carlos Belmonte . Albacete secured a remarkable 1–1 draw against the giants, who would ultimately secure their 26th La Liga crown that season . He played 10 more times that year, establishing himself as
720-482: A 3–0 victory at home over their increasingly bitter rivals Thunder Bay Chill . Once again, Des Moines' excellent early form took them to the US Open Cup , and on their first cup run: they beat USL Second Division side Pittsburgh Riverhounds on penalties in the first round, USL First Division side Charleston Battery 3–2 in the second round, and absolutely destroyed USL First Division 's Atlanta Silverbacks 5–1 in
810-608: A 3–3 tie; however, the Menace lost the penalty shootout 5–3, ending their title defense. Once more, Boltnar and Disang led the scoring tables with 7 goals each. 2007 did not go the way of The Red Army, as the Iowans missed the playoffs for just the second time in seven seasons. Everything started brightly for Des Moines with a 5–0 opening day victory of Sioux Falls Spitfire , but fell apart quickly, as Menace slumped to an unprecedented three consecutive losses in their next three games. Unusually, it
900-539: A 4–1 thrashing of St. Louis Strikers . Once again, Menace's excellent early form took them to the US Open Cup for the second consecutive season, although their campaign was a short one as they fell 2–1 at home to Milwaukee -based USASA side Bavarian SC . Menace stuttered a little in June, losing both their matchups against Boulder Rapids Reserve , but still putting 10 goals past Sioux Falls Spitfire in their two meetings, with Boltnar scoring four. The goalscoring highlight of
990-409: A clean sheet at El Sardinero as Santander won 1–0 and progressed to the round of 16. His had to wait until 6 April for his league debut, which came in a 2–2 draw with Real Betis at Estadio Benito Villamarín . He also featured in the next match at home to Rayo Vallecano : Ceballos was sent off with nine minutes remaining, and Marcos was brought on in place of Fernando Correa to see out
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#17328447897121080-504: A close battle with Colorado for the second playoff spot behind Thunder Bay. A dramatic late victory against the Chill would keep the Menace's hopes alive, but they fell one point short of the Foxes for the final spot. After the season, it was announced that Calloway would be parting ways with the club again. The 2013 season—the 20th season of Menace Soccer—was highlighted by a run to the third round of
1170-627: A game which saw Michael Kraus hit a brace. Menace played their first ever competitive match against a Major League Soccer team in the fourth round, away at the Kansas City Wizards , and although the fairytale was ended by a comprehensive 6–1 defeat, it was testament to Des Moines' increasingly high standard of play that they got as far as they did. Back in PDL league play, and despite a couple of mid-season losses, both to Thunder Bay, Des Moines continued to provide value for money and goalscoring prowess as
1260-415: A huge appetite for professional soccer. All that’s remaining now is the development of a soccer-specific stadium, and once that occurs, we look forward to delivering a professional soccer club that this community can be proud of.” On January 27, 2022, USL officially awarded Des Moines a USL Championship expansion club, originally set to play its inaugural season in 2024. However, a series of delays has paused
1350-406: A land negotiation with western suburb Urbandale broke down and the Menace were unable to find another interested party. With plans for a new stadium collapsing, the Menace moved to Waukee Stadium in nearby Waukee for the 2005 season, where they remained through 2007. Attendance was in the high 3000s to low 4000s at Waukee Stadium. The Menace also played home matches at Coach Cownie Stadium on
1440-472: A mere 67 fans in their inaugural season and between 234 and 341 from 1995 to 1997, attendance passed 2,000 in 2001 and hit a record 4,415 fans/match in the final season at McGrane, 2004. Buoyed by the increasing attendance averages (far and away the league leaders), the Menace began making plans to build a soccer-specific stadium . The proposed Liberty Bank Stadium would have been a 6,000 seater capable of hosting team, youth, and international matches. However,
1530-504: A potential title repeat with the Menace racing to a 4–1–0 start and qualifying for the Open Cup for the first time in four years. However, four straight league ties broke up the team's momentum. The Menace then stepped away from PDL play to host 2nd division AC St. Louis in first round play of the Open Cup, where they suffered a heartbreaking 1–0 loss. A 7–2 shellacking at arch-rival Thunder Bay
1620-709: A professional. He didn't feature at all for Ejido over the next two seasons, and finally retired in 2004 at the age of 35. Real Mallorca Polideportivo Ejido Des Moines Menace Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa , United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two , the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system . The Menace have had sustained success in USL League Two during their tenure, claiming
1710-476: A reliable back-up to future Spanish international José Francisco Molina , who had joined from Valencia that summer. The only low point was conceding 5 against Español at Sarrià Stadium on 30 October. Albacete finished the season in 17th, behind Compostela only thanks to their head-to-head record, which meant they had to play in the Relegation play-offs . They lost on aggregate to Salamanca , but earned
1800-483: A reprieve after an administration scandal involving Sevilla and Celta Vigo . In the off-season, Molina departed for Atlético Madrid , allowing Marcos to start 1995–96 as first choice. He played 25 league matches that season, but it was another difficult season for Albacete. They placed 20th, and were obliged to play another playoff . Marcos played in both matches, as they lost 1–0 to Extremadura at Estadio Francisco de la Hera on 30 May, and then by
1890-518: A resounding 4–0 victory; they then took the Conference title with ease, outplaying the Michigan Bucks to the tune of a comprehensive 4–1 scoreline. Menace moved on to the national stage for the first time since 2001, and beat Western Conference champions Orange County Blue Star 2–1 to reach the 2005 PDL Championship game. Their opponents were Southern Conference champions El Paso Patriots and, after
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#17328447897121980-405: A tight 0–0 in regulation time, Des Moines triumphed 6–5 on penalty kicks to take their first PDL title, with Andy Gruenebaum making two vital saves, and Luke Frieberg converting the winning spot kick. Boltnar was Menace's top player on all parts of the pitch for the third straight year, with 10 goals and 10 assists. Des Moines began 2006 looking to defend their PDL title, and began the season in
2070-438: A total of seven that season. He was used similarly sparingly the following season , making three appearances each in the league and the Copa del Rey . 1998–99 was his busiest season with Santander, with 11 appearances in all competitions. Ceballos was injured in the second half of a 3–0 win over Extremadura at Estadio Francisco de la Hera on 7 March, and Marcos came off the bench to replace him. He played in
2160-622: A variety of venues including Burger Center , Nelson Field , and House Park . After not being able to afford to travel to the semi-finals of the 1989 outdoor season playoffs, Kadkhodaian leased the club to the Austin Capital Soccer Club. Head coach Wolfgang Suhnholz pointed out that Austin Capital Soccer Club gave the Sockadillos a larger and more professional organization to help plan the team's season. The Sockadillos made it to
2250-471: A very tight run-in, Des Moines beat Springfield Demize 2–0 on the road, but then were made to endure two ties in their final two regular season games, which meant their playoff fate was out of their hands. Their third-place finish meant that the Great Lakes Division game between Michigan Bucks and Toronto Lynx would determine the final standings; Michigan won the game, and in doing so finished with
2340-509: A year before finally falling at home to Thunder Bay. The Menace would finish the regular season 11–1–4. A 2–1 victory over Real Colorado would send Des Moines to the quarterfinals, where they would fall at home, 1–0, to Cary . The 2009 squad featured a balanced attack where eighteen different players scored over the course of sixteen league matches, with no player tallying more than Armin Mujdzic's five. The 2010 season started off seemingly like
2430-650: Is a Spanish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper . He played professionally in all of Spain's top three divisions, which included 47 appearances in La Liga with Albacete Balompié and Racing Santander . Marcos was born in Felanitx , in the southeast of Majorca in the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands . He began his career with local side Real Mallorca , making his debut on 19 February 1989 in
2520-561: The Austin Lone Stars 3–2 in overtime in the divisional semi-final, and then overcame Sioux City 1–0 in the Divisional Final to progress to the national finals tournament. Menace lost the national semi final 3–1 to Florida outfit Cocoa Expos , and they then lost the third place playoff to San Francisco United All-Blacks , but it set the wheels in motion for one of American amateur soccer's most storied franchises; Aaron Leventhal led
2610-522: The El Paso Sixshooters 27–3. Austin play remained strong enough throughout the season to earn them a spot in the playoffs for the third year in a row. Austin failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Arlington Arrows 8–5. For the beginning of the 1990–1991 indoor season , Coach Simoes only returned six players from the previous season as an effort to bring more youth to
2700-565: The Milwaukee -based USASA team Croatian Eagles 4–1 in the qualifying round, and a second amateur team – Dallas Mustang Legends – in the first round proper, before causing a huge upset by knocking out USL First Division powerhouse Minnesota Thunder in the second round 1–0, with the winning goal being scored by Boltnar. In the third round, Menace faced off against the Wizards in the third round second consecutive season; this year, they would hang in
2790-555: The Rockford Raptors . The PDL qualification rules were changed again prior to the 2001 season which meant that, despite Menace finishing second to Sioux Falls Spitfire in the Heartland Division, they made it all the way to the national semi-finals, before eventually falling 5–1 to eventual national champions Westchester Flames . 2002 was a banner year for Des Moines, who enjoyed a tremendous regular season, remaining unbeaten
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2880-611: The St. Louis Lions , which left the Rapids ten points clear of Menace at the top of the Heartland Division standings. Menace faced Great Lakes division champions Chicago Fire Premier in the Central Conference Semifinal; the game was an epic one, with Menace hanging on for a 1–1 tie at the end of regular time despite being a man short following a red card. Extra time saw the Menace fight back from two goals down to force penalty kicks after
2970-586: The U.S. Open Cup. On May 28, the Menace visited Sporting Park , losing against Sporting Kansas City in a 2–0 match played in front of more than 15,000 fans. This showdown with a Major League Soccer team was made possible by the Menace's 1–0 upset at Minnesota United FC one week earlier. Captain Brandon Fricke headed in the match's only goal on May 21, and the Menace held on to knock off the North American Soccer League side. The Menace entered
3060-527: The promotion play-offs . Marcos appeared in all six play-off games against Atlético Madrid B , Calahorra and Espanyol B , including keeping three crucial clean sheets, as Ejido earned promotion to the Segunda División for the first time in their history. In 2001–02 , he started the season as first choice, but was gradually supplanted by Sergio Segura over the course of the year. A 2–1 loss on 5 January at El Sardinero against his former side, Racing Santander , proved to be his last match as
3150-447: The 0–0 first leg, Marcos kept a clean sheet for the full 120 minutes at Lluís Sitjar Stadium , including 30 minutes extra time, to send the tie to penalties. Marcos won the shootout, saving a penalty from Melenas to send Mallorca into the quarterfinals. His final appearance as Molondro's deputy came in the next league match, at home to Salamanca , which Mallorca won 2–1. Mallorca were promoted that season to La Liga via
3240-409: The 2013 season under the direction of a new head coach, Mike Jeffries, and a new general manager, Matt Homonoff. The season of highs and lows ended with a 6–6–2 regular-season record—the team's first nonwinning record since 1999. For the second-straight year, the team missed the PDL playoffs. In 2014, the Menace's 12–1–1 record was the best in the PDL and they won the Heartland Division title. They lost
3330-671: The Central Conference Final to the eventual PDL Champion Michigan Bucks 2–0. Mike Jeffries was named PDL Coach of the Year and Forward Chris Hellmann was named to the All-League team. Mike Jeffries left to become head coach of the Charlotte Independence , a USL Pro expansion team. Original Chicago Fire Premier head coach Mike Matkovich was hired as head coach on February 5, 2015. On January 5, 2017, John Pascarella , formerly goalkeeper coach for Sporting Kansas City ,
3420-535: The Central Division campaign in 4th place behind Nebraskan champs Lincoln Brigade with a 6–1–9 record. The playoffs were slightly more successful, as they surprisingly dispatched Lincoln 4–0 in the divisional semi finals, and overcame the Omaha Flames 6–0 in the divisional finals, before falling to 3–0 to the Mid-Michigan Bucks in the national quarter finals. 1998 saw an improvement in regular season play from
3510-539: The Conference Semifinals. Boltnar was named PDL MVP for the second consecutive year, and again was Menace's top scorer with 14 goals, while Boltnar and Joseph Kabwe registered 10 assists apiece. Despite the team's success, head coach Petersen was replaced by Marc Grune prior to the 2004 season; under his tenure the team suffered slightly, as league expansion in the Midwest took its toll. Menace were inconsistent in
3600-674: The Division semi-finals to the San Antonio Pumas . The 1998 season was the Lone Stars best of its short history with the team advancing to the championship round, finishing in 4th place after falling to the Orlando Nighthawks . The 1999 season saw the Lone Stars finish mid-table, qualifying for playoffs, but losing the Texas Toros in the division semi-finals. Going into the 2000 season
3690-423: The Division semi-finals, before falling to the Omaha Flames in the Division finals. In February 1997, the Lone Stars became a fully professional team. In preparation for their first fully professional season, Lone Stars played an exhibition match against MLS team Dallas Burn , coming away with a 1–0 loss. The 1997 season saw the Lone Stars qualify for the playoffs in their first professional season, falling in
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3780-530: The Iowans, as they finished second in the Central Division behind the Colorado Comets with a 9–4–3 record, and qualified for the post-season for the fourth consecutive time. They beat Twin Cities Tornado 1–0 in overtime in the divisional semi-finals, and then dispatched Kansas City Brass on penalty kicks in the divisional final to reach the national tournament once more; Menace again faced Cocoa Expos in
3870-524: The Lone Stars named Phillip Perry as their new head coach. The 2000 season was the final season for the Lone Stars seeing them finish at the bottom on the table with a 1–14 record. The Soccadillos first experience in the U.S. Open Cup came in 1991, when they lost 3–0 to the Richardson Rockets in the Region III first round. In June 1997, Lone Stars earned a berth in the 1997 U.S. Open Cup advancing to
3960-570: The Menace played their home matches on the soccer fields of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines , with very limited bleachers and no lights. To meet league stadium requirements, the Menace moved to Cara McGrane Memorial Stadium, located on the campus of Herbert Hoover High School on the west side of Des Moines. With bleachers and lights at their new home, the Menace were able to push games to evenings instead of summer afternoons. Attendance skyrocketed at McGrane Stadium. After averaging
4050-614: The Menace triumphed over Kalamazoo FC 2–1 to claim the Central Conference Title. Just two days later, the Menace faced Portland Timbers U23 in the National Semifinal and emerged with a 2–0 victory. In the final playoff match of the 2021 season, the Menace put one goal past NC Fusion U23, which was enough to secure their second league title. Each of their playoff matches were hosted at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, with
4140-524: The Midwest Division. They finished their first season in 1994 with a 5–13 record, in seventh place behind divisional champions Minnesota Thunder . They dropped down to the USISL Premier League in 1995, and finished third in the Central Division with a 10–8 record behind divisional champs and Iowa neighbors Sioux City Breeze , qualifying for the post-season playoffs in the process. They dispatched
4230-413: The PDL in 1999, but Des Moines were unable to capitalize on their playoff run from the previous year; they ended the season fourth in the Heartland Division behind Twin Cities Tornado , and with the change in the playoff qualification system missed the post-season for the first time in five seasons. The Menace missed the playoffs again in 2000, finishing the season with a 10–0–8 record, just one point behind
4320-847: The ULS W-2 playoffs in their first season. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lady Lone Stars played the North Texas Heat, the eventual 1999 champions The Lady Lone Stars second season was not as successful as their first with the team failing to score a goal for the first 10 games of the year. MVP Leading scorer Rookie of the Year Coach of the Year Executive of the Year Fernando Marcos Fernando Marcos Santiago (born 4 December 1968)
4410-469: The USL League Two Round of 16 in the 2023 season . The 2024 season was another successful campaign. They made a run in the playoffs but lost to Peoria in penalties. On September 18, 2019, Menace owner Kyle Krause announced plans to bring a USL Championship team to Des Moines, pending construction of a downtown stadium. Said USL President Jake Edwards , “There is very strong local ownership and
4500-434: The USL League Two championship in the 2021 campaign. The Menace also hold three regular season championships, coming in the 2018, 2019, and 2021 campaigns respectively. The team plays its home games at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Iowa. The team's colors are red, white and black. Des Moines Menace began their competitive life as an expansion team in the old United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL), playing in
4590-447: The Year. The team set a record winning 30 consecutive home games in 2023. They qualified for the playoffs yet again as well reaching the Elite 8 before being defeated by Flint City in back-to-back seasons, losing 2–0. On November 16, 2023, Troy McKerrell was named as the thirteenth head coach in club history. McKerrell is a former Menace player who had most recently coached Chicago City to
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#17328447897124680-474: The announcement of the end of the Mann era, and the first divisional title for the Menace since 2002. The Menace would open with three consecutive wins before drawing three consecutive matches where they would concede late goals for the draw. A draw and win at defending PDL champion Thunder Bay put Des Moines well in control of the Heartland Division, and the Menace would run their unbeaten streak to 15 matches dating over
4770-585: The attack, scoring 10 goals on the season, while goalkeeper Casey Mann posted an impressive 1.73 GAA rating. The 1996 campaign was disappointing for Des Moines, finishing with a 7–7 record in the Southern Division, in 5th place behind Austin Lone Stars , and out of the playoffs in the first round following a 1–0 defeat to the Lone Stars. The USISL Premier League became the PDSL in 1997, and again Des Moines finished
4860-426: The away first leg of Santander's second round tie against SD Eibar . The match at Ipurua Municipal Stadium ended 1–1, with Óscar Arpón scoring the away goal that would ultimately send Santander through to the third round. Having also played in the away leg in that round, another 1–1 draw with Real Zaragoza at La Romareda , he finally made his home debut in the return fixture on 15 January. He kept
4950-474: The best possible way, rattling off six wins in their first seven games, including a trio of impressive home wins, 3–0 over Colorado Springs Blizzard , 5–1 over Sioux Falls Spitfire and 4–1 over Thunder Bay Chill , the latter of which featured a brace from Armin Mujdzic . Menace enjoyed their fourth US Open Cup campaign off the back of their early form, and for the second year in a row they proved to be formidable opponents for higher league opposition. They beat
5040-460: The best record in the Central Conference, which meant Toronto got in as the lucky third placed team, and Des Moines missed out in the closest of circumstances. For the first time in seven years Boltnar was not Menace's top scorer – that honor went to Nicki Paterson with 6 goals, although the 29-year-old Czech player did tally 5 assists. 2009 would see the retirement of the legendary Boltnar,
5130-569: The championship matches, losing to the Lubbock Lazers 3 games to 2 in their five match set. but Austin garnered multiple post-season honors, including MPV and league leading scorer (71 goals) Brian Monaghan, assist leader Uwe Balzis and Coach of the Year Tony Simoes . Saeed Kadkhodaian became owner of the team prior to the 1989–1990 season. The Sockadillos started the 1989–1990 season in an explosive manner, breaking league records by beating
5220-484: The end of the season. Following Orihuela's relegation, Marcos joined their erstwhile Segunda División rivals Albacete Balompié . Albacete had had a very successful season in 1990–91 , topping the table and being promoted to La Liga for the first time in their history. However, Marcos would face a long wait to make his top flight debut. Experienced Costa Rican Luis Conejo was first choice in 1991–92 , with Juan Carlos Balaguer also ahead of Marcos in
5310-559: The entire season, and topping the Heartland Division by a clear 20 points from their closest rivals, Boulder Rapids Reserve , and in the process winning the first silverware in franchise history. Their excellent form also took the Menace to the US Open Cup for first time in franchise history. They beat the D3 Pro League side New Jersey Stallions 3–1 in the First Round, before losing 3–2 to A-League stalwarts Rochester Raging Rhinos on
5400-409: The first leg, away from home, 1–0, but suffered a humiliating 2–0 defeat in the return fixture at Estadio Cartagonova , and were eliminated by their Tercera División opponents. Marcos also started the first two league matches of the year, away at Gramenet and at home to Alcoyano , which resulted in a 1–0 loss and a 1–1 draw respectively. Cartagena's last match of the season,
5490-567: The first part of the year, winning three and losing three of their opening six games. They put five past the Wisconsin Rebels and Sioux Falls Spitfire , but uncharacteristically conceded three at home to the St. Louis Strikers . The month of June was magnificent for Menace, as they enjoyed a seven-game winning streak that featured a two six-goal hammerings of Wisconsin Rebels and Indiana Blast . Everything looked to be on course for another trip to
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#17328447897125580-686: The first round, losing to Texas Rattlers 2–0. In May 1999, the Austin Lone Stars announced they would field their first woman's soccer team that played in the USL W-League . The team was coached by Jon McCain. The Lady Lone Stars started their campaign in the USL-W League with a 6–0 win against the Houston Tornados. Later that season, the Lady Lone Stars beat the Tornados again to earn a berth into
5670-445: The game. At that time, Santander were leading 1–0 thanks to Alberto's 12th-minute goal. However, Marcos's first responsibility was to face the penalty conceded by Ceballos, which Diego Klimowicz duly converted. Five minutes later, he also failed to keep out Guilherme , who gave Rayo a 2–1 win. With Ceballos suspended, Marcos also played in the next match, a 5–1 win over Real Oviedo at Estadio Carlos Tartiere , for
5760-588: The initial loss, the Sockadillos were able to qualify for the 1987 SISL playoffs, defeating the Albuquerque Gunners in the first round. The Sockadillos fell to the Oklahoma City Warriors in the 1987–1988 SISL Championships, losing the first three games of the best-of-five series. During the 1988-1989 season, they played their home games at Tatu 's All Star Indoor Soccer Place. Austin Sockadillos played well enough in their second season to again reach
5850-405: The league final breaking both a club and league attendance record with 7,342 fans in attendance. Manel Busquets was named MVP of the match. In 2022, the team once again made a run in the playoffs after completing an undefeated regular season under first year Head Coach Dean Johnson. However, the team ultimately fell to Flint City in the Elite 8 round in penalty kicks. Johnson was named USL2 Coach of
5940-420: The match until Scott Sealy won it in stoppage time. The mid-season saw a slight stutter from Des Moines as they lost three of their next four games, including a pair of demoralizing losses to Boulder Rapids Reserve which would eventually decide the divisional title. Menace did bounce back down the home stretch, remaining unbeaten in their final five regular season games, but the results included two ties against
6030-495: The next five matches while Ceballos recovered, but the first choice keeper returned after the 2–0 home loss to Espanyol on 18 April. This would turn out to be Marcos's last match in the top division, as he left Santander at the end of the season. In search of regular first team football, Marcos joined Motril in Segunda División B in the summer of 1999. He began the season as second choice to Carlos Gómez, and had to wait until 14 January to make his debut. This came in
6120-521: The pecking order. The following season , Balaguer became the number one, with Jesús Unanua brought in on loan from Osasuna to act as his understudy. The result was that Marcos didn't make a single appearance during his first two years at Albacete. For the 1993–94 season , Marcos was sent out on loan to Cartagena FC in Segunda División B . He made his first competitive appearance in over two years as he started both legs of Cartagena's Copa del Rey first round tie against Mar Menor . They won
6210-493: The playoffs. Boltnar was Menace's top scorer, with 9 goals, while Edwin Disang contributed 7 assists. Grune paid for his failure with his job, as Menace hired former standout goalkeeper Casey Mann as their new head coach. Mann's impact on the Menace was felt almost immediately; they started the season six wins in seven games, including a 5–1 hammering of Kansas City Brass , a 3–0 win on the road over Colorado Springs Blizzard , and
6300-473: The post season, but Menace inexplicably fell apart during the run-in, losing three of their final five games, including a devastating 5–4 loss to Thunder Bay Chill in which the Canadians scored a last-minute winner having been down 4–3 with 20 minutes to go. The end of season stutter cost Des Moines dearly, as they eventually finished the year third in the Heartland Division behind Chicago Fire Premier and out of
6390-525: The project indefinitely. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. 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, USL2, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team. (*) competing as Iowa Menace In their early days,
6480-407: The regional round, but this time emerged from the encounter 3–1 winners, and were now just 90 minutes from the championship game. Des Moines' opponents were the on form San Gabriel Valley Highlanders from Glendale, California , who won 3–1 and went on to take the title, while Menace were left to console themselves with a 4–1 win over Kalamazoo Kingdom in the 3rd/4th place playoff. The PDSL became
6570-478: The same scoreline in the return leg three days later. This time, there was to be no reprieve: Albacete were relegated, and Marcos left the club that summer. Wanting to stay in the top flight, Marcos joined Racing Santander ahead of the 1996–97 season . He acted as back-up to Santander legend José María Ceballos , although he did feature more prominently in the run to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. He made his debut in that competition on 6 November, in
6660-429: The same team as that for Motril, Dos Hermanas , in the preliminary round of the Copa del Rey . Ejido drew this away match 2–2, and ultimately won the tie 4–3 on aggregate. In between the two legs, Marcos made his league debut in a 3–2 home win over Linense on 3 September, and went on to appear in every league match except one that season . Ejido finished the year as group runners-up, and qualified for
6750-446: The scoring lead with five goals each. The 2011 season saw the Menace finish unbeaten in the regular season (12–0–4). In a tight playoff race (the top three clubs finished twenty points clear of the fourth-place team), the Menace edged out Real Colorado on head-to-head. However, in the playoffs, they would concede a late goal to force extra time against the Michigan Bucks and lose, 3–2, in extra time. In 2012, once again they engaged in
6840-508: The season on top of the league rankings. Falling just once at an away game in Chicago, the Menace finished the season 11–1–0 as both Heartland Division champions and USL2 regular-season champions. The Menace entered the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed, and dominated Texas United 5–0, followed by a tense 1–0 victory over Flint City to qualify for the Central Conference Final. Sticking to their winning ways,
6930-433: The season reached its conclusion: they hit Sioux Falls Spitfire for ten in their two games in early July, with Boltnar and Disangagain doing the damage, and coasted into the playoffs off the back of a 5–0 final day demolition of nine-man Colorado Springs Blizzard , with another two goals from Disang. The Menace faced Great Lakes Division winners Chicago Fire Premier in the Central Conference Semifinals, and walked away with
7020-495: The second round. before falling to the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers . Once again, Austin Lone Stars qualified for the 1998 U.S. Open Cup , reaching the second round on a performance that concerned their new coach. The Lone Stars failed to advance past the second round, losing to Orange County Zodiac . The Lone Stars qualified for their third straight U.S. Open Cup in 1999 , but once again could not make it out of
7110-528: The semi-finals again during the 1990 outdoor season , falling to the Richardson Rockets . The 1991 outdoor and 1992 outdoor seasons saw the Sockadillos finish outside of the playoffs. During this period both the USISL and Sockadillos dealt with financial difficulty as each season saw them spending more money then they earned. The 1993 season saw the Sockadillos miss the playoffs once again. In March 1994,
7200-407: The summer of 1990. He wasn't immediately first choice for his new club, with Juan Espín preferred at the start of the season, but made his debut on 7 October in an away match against Elche at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero . He kept a clean sheet as Orihuela won 1–0, and kept his place for the next match, at home to Rayo Vallecano a week later. This match, at Estadio Municipal Los Arcos ,
7290-497: The team was renamed the Lone Stars and was co-owned by Kadkhodaian and Rick Schram. This season the Lone Stars once again qualified for the playoffs and made it to the division finals before falling to the DFW Toros 4–2. The 1995 season saw the Lone Stars qualify for playoffs and reach the division semi-finals before losing to Des Moines Menace . The 1996 season saw the Lone Stars get some pay back by knocking out Des Moines Meance in
7380-591: The team. The Sockadillos reached the playoffs for a fourth straight season, but once again failed to proceed past the first round, losing to the Colorado Comets . This was the team's last season playing indoor soccer. In 1989 the league introduced a summer outdoor season. During the 1989 outdoor season , the league was known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League and the team was known as the Capital Sockadillos . They played their home games at
7470-485: The torrid Springfield Demize in which Tucker Sindlinger and Nicki Paterson scored two goals each. However, the lack of consistency in Des Moines' play left them a distant fourth in the table, eight points behind divisional champions Thunder Bay. For the sixth straight year Boltnar was the team's joint top scorer, sharing the honors with Nicki Paterson with 9 goals each. Des Moines began 2008 sluggishly; they won just two of their opening six games (although one of those
7560-447: The year was the astonishing 8–2 win over Kansas City Brass at home in early July in which Joseph Kabwe scored five goals, and Boltnar scored a hat trick. Des Moines coasted down the home stretch, winning two of their last four games, eventually finishing in second place in the Heartland Division behind Chicago Fire Premier . Des Moines' trip to the post-season was a short one, as they fell to Great Lakes champions Mid-Michigan Bucks in
7650-430: Was Des Moines' road form which proved to be their downfall: they suffered unexpected defeats to St. Louis Lions and Thunder Bay Chill , including a 4–0 battering at the hands of the latter in the penultimate game of the season. Menace's home form continued to be impressive, and they enjoyed several high-scoring victories in front of their fans, including a 5–1 thrashing of Kansas City Brass , and an easy 8–0 flattening of
7740-500: Was a 7–0 hammering of Springfield Demize ) and were left playing catch-up behind Colorado Rapids U23's and Thunder Bay Chill for the remainder of the season. The Menace won three games in June, including a hugely satisfying 3–1 on the road in Thunder Bay, but suffered two unexpected home losses to their closest rivals before enjoying their second win over Thunder Bay, a comprehensive 5–1 home victory in front of 3,217 delirious fans. In
7830-693: Was followed by two more draws. Despite a pair of dominating shutouts (6–0 against Springfield and 3–0 against the Brass), a 3–1 loss to the Chill all but knocked the Menace from playoff contention. The season ended on a fitting note: after rallying to take a 2–1 lead on the Lions, the Menace conceded late for their 7th draw of the year. Despite losing just three matches all season, seven draws in sixteen matches left them eight points out of playoff qualification in fourth. Captain Clark Bradford and defender Logan McDaniel shared
7920-513: Was named Coach of the Year. Calloway left his manager's post in the 2002–03 offseason to become head coach of the Syracuse Salty Dogs in the A-League , and he was replaced by Greg Petersen . Petersen's season in charge was a generally good one; Menace got off to a flying start, rattling off six wins on the trot at the beginning of the year, including a 7–0 demolition of Wisconsin Rebels and
8010-402: Was named head coach. In April 2019, Mark McKeever was announced as new head coach of the Menace, replacing departing Alen Marcina . The Menace were also part of the rebranding of the former PDL into USL League Two. Following a cancelled 2020 USL League Two season, the Menace embarked on what would be a historic 2021 season. Winning their first nine consecutive games, the Menace spent most of
8100-568: Was somewhat less successful, with the visitors triumphing 4–2. He ultimately made 17 appearances that season , with a 3–2 home win over Xerez on 26 May being the last. Orihuela's first season in the Segunda División for over 35 years was very successful, as they placed 5th and only missed out on the promotion playoff by three points. However, they were found to have failed to pay their players, and were punished with administrative relegation to Segunda División B . Marcos left at
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