USL San Diego Gets a Name
On Saturday November 2nd, hundreds of supporters and interested members gathered at The Quarry in Downtown San Diego to hear the name they will be chanting, cheering, and bantering about come March 2020. The event started with several Premiere League games being shown around the outdoor bar and event area, but as soon as the crowd watched both Manchester City then Liverpool both come back to win, everyone's attention was on the big reveal.
The host, Nate Abaurrea, energetically welcomed the crowd in and kicked off the festivities with his usual pizzaz. He played the host job very well, and it was a good choice, as Nate lends his voice to San Diego Sockers and, until recently, the Tijuana Xolos as well. If he ends up doing some play by play for the new club, I would not at all be surprised.
He kicked the whole event off by welcoming three guys out to talk about the newly named supporter group, "The Locals". They were the ones who made the sharp looking Tifo in front of the crest reveal. If you want to get involved with the supporters group, check out thelocalssg.com or follow them on twitter @TheLocalsSG.
After that, a few notable people came out to share their thoughts and address the crowd. Those included Ricardo Campos, the Vice President of Operations and of course, Landon Donovan, the Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations. Donovan took to the stage with his "apple juice" to finish off the presentation and to thank everyone who contributed to the building of the club.
Warren Smith, came to the stage and kicked off the name reveal by directing everyone's attention to the video board where they played this video:
Warren Smith announced, "Well now you know the name!"
He invited some of the members of The Locals to help with the reveal of the crest.
I have to say that the name has grown on me, but what struck me first was how beautiful the crest was. The colors were a great choice, and the crest itself just pops. Since the reveal, I have seen it on car window and at some breweries in the San Diego area, and it is such a great looking crest. It feels very San Diego.
It was mentioned that gear would be for sale the week before Thanksgiving, but I know I am ready to drop too much money on shirts, scarves, and kits. Even the quickly produced hats, pins, and shirts looked sharp. I know I can't wait to see them on the pitch in March 2020.