By John Few
Madison Magazine

Madison now has its own semi-professional sports team.

Minor league soccer team Rocket City United (RCU) announced they will be moving their home from Huntsville to Madison and adding former Olympic soccer player Desmond Armstrong as head coach.

Armstrong played soccer in the 1990 US World Cup and was on the 1988 US Olympic team.

"We've had tremendous support from Madison residents at our games the last couple of years," RCU president Andy Zorovich said during a press conference at city hall.” We are so excited to be a part of Madison.”

RCU will begin their season in May, 2010 and will play all of their home games at the Madison City Schools Stadium.

"We are proud and excited to have the Rocket City United soccer team call Madison "home" for the 2010 season," Mayor Paul Finley said.

"This is an opportunity for Madison residents to have a soccer team to call their own and continue to boost our youth programs development and interest. Saturday night games will be a great draw for area spectators to enjoy Madison."

RCU is a member of the 35-team National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a regionalized national Division III soccer league founded in 2005. They compete during the summer months against other south region teams from Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

Zorovich said that the team was able to make the move largely due to the support and interest they received from the Madison Chamber of Commerce, city officials and the Madison City School Board.

He added that the ball started rolling to bring the team to Madison after Emo and Amy Furfori, the city's economic development team, attended one of the games last season and expressed a desire to see RCU in Madison.

A huge benefit to RCU relocating to Madison is that the city will play host the league’s 2010 Final Four in July, 2010.

The NPSL Final Four features the regional champions from the league’s four regions throughout the nation to determine the league’s champion.

“The icing on the cake is bringing in a coach of Desmond Armstrong's background to provide our community the best possible soccer experience," Zorovich said. “He played at every level of American soccer and is now using his diverse talents to develop young players.”

Armstrong had a storied eight-year run with the U.S. National team. After starring at the University of Maryland, he established himself with the national team after his performances in the MISL and in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Armstrong was one of the 50 players selected to the ACC's 50th Anniversary men's soccer team. He was inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 and the University of Maryland Athletic Hall Of Fame 2009.

Most recently Armstrong has been working with Major League Soccer's DC United in the US Developmental Academy program.