New England Soccer Today

Reál Boston Rams Set to Make PDL Debut

Boston-area soccer fans will have a new club to root for in 2013.

On Monday, the United Soccer Leagues announced the addition of the Real Boston Rams, which will begin play in USL’s Premier Development League next year.

“Our vision is to become the area’s top soccer club that identifies elite college-age players in our back yard to give them an opportunity to play for a club and to further their ambitions for a professional soccer career,” General Manager John Paul Barata said in a statement on Monday. “In the process, local soccer fans will get to see some of the nation’s top youngsters competing in a setting that is both competitive and family-friendly.”

Real Boston was established earlier this year as a youth soccer academy for the area’s aspiring players. But with Barata, who was an assistant coach with the Boston Victory in 2012, and Club President Michael Madden looking toward the future, the duo decided it was time to launch a full-fledged PDL team.

“Not only am I excited about the prospect of getting to work with some of the area’s top collegiate players on our team, but I also look forward to the opportunity of developing our aspiring kids, boys and girls, through our academy,” Madden said in a statement on Monday. “The opportunity to feature a PDL team certainly adds to the excitement.”

Madden and Barata have appointed Jimmy Costa as the team’s manager. Costa, a native of Portugal, is a former standout at Massasoit College and is currently coaching at Lesley University.

“I’m so excited to be involved with the Reál Boston Rams and to be part of the top amateur league in the nation,” Costa said. “Reál Boston is a forward-thinking club committed to winning, player development and community involvement. With a wealth of area talent and the local passion for the game, I felt this was the ideal scenario for me to embark on a new journey in my coaching career.”

The club has not yet announced a home stadium, but will conduct their first round of player tryouts next month. The PDL kicks off its season in early-May.

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