Lucas Rodriguez profiled and interviewed by Dos Mundos Newspaper.

Dos Mundos Newspaper recently caught up with Missouri Comets rookie of the year candidate and NSC Minnesota Stars midfielder Lucas Rodriguez and had the chance to talk with him about playing for his hometown team in the MISL.

Playing professionally for the Missouri Comets, his hometown indoor team, gives Rodriguez an emotional boost, he said, because of the responsibilities involved.

“You want to win for your family, your friends, the people (in the stands), the city, the community,” Rodriguez explained. “I have a lot of people that … look up to me and support everything I do. I … have … tons of friends and people I play soccer with that I know … would give anything they had in order to be able to represent Kansas City.”

Because of those responsibilities, Rodriguez tries to do everything possible to help the Comets win when he plays, he said. Through the Comets’ first 15 games, what Rodriguez had done was play in 12 games and contribute 22 shots; 10 points (three 3-point goals and four assists); and nine blocks.

Comets coach Kim Roentved believes Rodriguez will have a bigger impact on the team as he gains professional indoor soccer experience.   It’s clear to Roentved that Rodriguez “has lots of talent.” “He just needs to use it at the right places,” Roentved commented. “And that’s what we’ve been working on since he came into (training) camp.”

Mike Ambersley Highlighted by the St. Petersburg Times

The St. Petersburg Times took a moment to breakdown FC Tampa Bay, as the club is half-way finished with its pre-season schedule and spoke to the team's new forward, Mike Ambersley, about the new coach, Ricky Hill.


"Hill, a Rowdies player/coach in the early 1990s, is in his first American Division 2 head coaching job. He promises to offer a style of play that will be "very pleasing to the eye."


"Also, Hill's mild-mannered approach is endearing him to players. "Ricky is a great motivator," forward Mike Ambersley said. "He's really positive. You know if you make a mistake, he's not going to dog you. He's a calming influence."


Ambersley was also highlighted as one of the three newcomers to watch this season, stating: 


"The 5-foot-9 forward, who scored 11 goals last year for hometown team St. Louis, will be fun to watch. He is quick, creative with the ball at his feet and moves well without it. His style is a good fit for Hill's system, so he should get plenty of opportunities to score."

Lucas Rodriguez Tallies Assist in MISL Action

Lucas Rodriguez tallied an assist for the Missouri Comets against the Omaha Vipers in MISL action. After the Comets pulled their goalkeeper in favor of an extra attacker, Rodriguez found Leo Gibson with 1:50 left in the match.  Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough and the Vipers beat the Comets by a final score of 6-4.

Lucas Rodriguez is playing with the Missouri Comets in his first season as a professional in the MISL, having recently finished his first outdoor professional season with the Minnesota Stars of the NASL.

Chris Salvaggione Signs with S&E

Chris Salvaggione of Fort Collins, Colorado has signed a representation contract with S&E Entertainment; S&E will serve as Salvaggione’s agents to further his professional soccer career. 

Salvagionne made his professional debut in 2010 for A.C. St. Louis of the NASL, which competed in the USSF Division 2 league. He was a substantial contributing for the club in its inaugral season, logging significant minutes and scoring some fantastic goals. 

Collegiately, Salvaggionne began his soccer career at Gardner-Webb University, transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a junior in 2007. He helped his Gardner-Webb team win the 2006 Atlantic Sun Championship and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. While at UNC Charlotte he was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team and the NSCAA/Adidas All-Mid-Atlantic second team as a junior, and was the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, an NSCAA Second Team All-American, and a Hermann Trophy semi-finalist as a senior.

During his college years Salvaggione also played extensively in the USL Premier Development League, featuring for Colorado Springs Blizzard, the DFW Tornados and Austin Aztex U23.

Troy Cole Signs with S&E

Troy Cole of Laguna Hills, California has signed a representation contract with S&E Entertainment; S&E will serve as Cole’s agents to further his professional soccer career. 

Cole made his professional debut in 2010 for A.C. St. Louis of the NASL, which competed in the USSF Division 2 league. He showed significant promise for the club, logging significant minutes as a holding, defensive midfielder and defender for the club in its inaugral season. 

Collegiately, Cole starred for Mars Hill College, starting 36 of 37 games, and for Irvine Valley College, leading the team to a #3 junior college ranking in California.

Bryan Perez Signs with S&E Entertainment for Representation

Bryan Perez has signed a representation contract with S&E Entertainment; S&E will serve as Perez's agents to further his professional soccer career.  

Perez made his professional debut in 2010 for Miami FC of NASL, which competed in the USSF Division 2 league.  He showed significant promise for the club, but was limited to one appearance, playing behind former MLS MVP Christian Gomez.  

Collegiately, Perez starred for the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC), and is the schools all-time leader in goals (29), shots (160), points (70), and games played (78).  The UMKC great has returned to Kansas City to play for the Missouri Comets of the MISL professional indoor league for the 2010-2011 season.

Lucas Rodriguez Assist Lifts Stars over Railhawks

S&E Entertainment client Lucas Rodriguez had the game winning assist to help the NSC Minnesota Stars defeat the Carolina Railhawks in USSF Div. 2 action.  Rodriguez picked up a loose ball following a Stars' corner kick and picked out Devin Del Do with a pinpoint cross.  Del Do's header was the lone goal in the contest.

Lucas Rodriguez is playing his first year of professional football with the NSC Minnesota Stars.  The club is a member of the North American Soccer League and competes in the United States Soccer Federation Division 2 professional league.

Rodriguez Makes Professional Debut

Thursday, July 15, 2010 - S&E Entertainment wants to congratulate Lucas Rodriquez for making his professional debut last night for the NSC Minnesota Stars.  The Stars drew 2-2 with A.C. St. Louis as part of the USA Cup competition. Rodriguez played an integral part of Minnesota's dramatic comeback that culminated with the equalizing goal coming in injury time.

We look forward to seeing more from Lucas Rodriguez in the weeks to come.

Both NSC Minnesota and A.C. St. Louis compete in the U.S.S.F. Division 2 in the N.A.S.L. division.  USSF2 is the second division of American soccer, below Major League Soccer (MLS) and above United Soccer League 2 (USL2).

 

Lucas Rodriguez Signs with NSC Minnesota Stars

S&E Entertainment client Lucas Rodriguez has signed a professional contract with the NSC Minnesota Stars of the North American Soccer League (NASL). 

The 24-year-old midfielder was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up idolizing Diego Maradona. He attended Mid America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas where he was named to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics all-American teams all four years. He also played for the KC Brass of the Premier Development League between college seasons. Rodriguez joined the Stars during their season-opening training camp.

Mike Ambersley Signs with A.C. St. Louis

S&E Entertainment client, Mike Ambersley has signed a 1 year contract with his hometown team, A.C. St. Louis.  Ambersley, 27, is a forward who has previously played for the Rochester Rhinos.

"It’s good to be playing professional soccer back here in my hometown," Ambersley said. "This is a dream come true for me. I just want to help AC St. Louis in any way I can during this first season.”

Ambsersley, who prepped at DeSmet High, played collegiately at Indiana University, where he won back-to-back national championships with the Hoosiers. He was voted Indiana team MVP his senior season and was named to the All-Big 10 Freshman Team.

Chase Harrison Signs With Crystal Palace Baltimore

Crystal Palace Baltimore of the new North American Soccer League (NASL) announced the signing of goalkeeperr and S&E client Chase Harrison. Harrison brings a combination of experience and potential to this key position.

Chase Harrison, 25 years old, played his college soccer at Virginia Tech from 2002 to 2005, appearing in 79 matches and maintaining an impressive 1.12 Goals Against Average. While with the Hokies, the 6' 3" netminder also played for the West Virginia Chaos of the Premier Development League.

In 2006, Harrison was taken by Real Salt Lake in the third round of the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft. The native of Huntington, West Virginia, was loaned out to the Virginia Beach Mariners of the then USL First Division for most of the year, making two appearances before being waived by Salt Lake at the end of the season. In 2007 he joined the Rochester Rhinos, also of the USL First Division, making a total of 18 appearances. In July 2008, Harrison was traded to another USL-1 club, the Portland Timbers, where he played six games. He spent last season with the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-2 notching 16 starts.

Co-Head Coach Jim Cherneski added: "As for Chase, we played against him last year when he was with Harrisburg and he put in some excellent performances. That was a big factor in us signing him. We're looking forward to him being a part of the club."

One of only 31 professional soccer clubs in the United States, Crystal Palace Baltimore was founded in 2006. The professional team is a member of the NASL conference in the new USSF D-2 Pro League and participates in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club also runs a Professional Development Academy for young players at age levels U10 through U18. Crystal Palace Baltimore is the sister organization of 105-year old Crystal Palace Football Club in the United Kingdom. The London-based club was a founding member of the English Premier League and currently competes in the Coca Cola Football League Championship. More information can be found at www.palacebaltimore.com.

Tim Velten Signs With A.C. St. Louis

AC St. Louis of the new North American Soccer League (NASL) announced the signing of defender and St. Louis native Tim Velten. Velten becomes the second official signing by the club, and the second St. Louis born and bred player behind Steve Ralston to join the team in the past week. Velten, 26, played professionally last year for the Rochester Rhinos and Harrisburg City Islanders. Velten played two years of collegiate soccer at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville before transferring to the University of Louisville for his junior and senior seasons.

"I am ecstatic to be coming home to St. Louis to play professional soccer," said Velten. "It has always been my dream to play in my hometown in front of my family and friends, and it is certainly an honor to be playing for AC St. Louis. I know everyone is excited that St. Louis now has a team, and for me to be a part of it from the ground up is an amazing opportunity. I want to thank everyone who helped me to get where I am; my parents, all my coaches, and my friends. I'm excited about our fans, our stadium, and winning soccer games. I can't wait for the season to get started."
Velten is a native of Webster Groves, Missouri in suburban St. Louis where he was a four-year varsity starter at Webster Groves High School. Velten also played for the prestigious Busch Soccer Club and Scott Gallagher Soccer Club before enrolling in college. Velten has spent the last three seasons playing for the Rochester Rhinos on a brief loan spell, the Harrisburg City Islanders, and the Charleston Battery.

S&E Entertainment, Inc. is a professional management services company that specializes in agent representation for professional soccer players and royalty administration and publishing for musicians. The company is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

For additional information on S&E Entertainment or Tim Velten, please visit www.sne-entertainment.com or contact Matthew Nagel at matt@sne-enterainment.com.