United family member Luiz DaCunha needs your prayers today.

UPDATE (5/21/13): As of late yesterday afternoon, United player Luiz DaCunha was still in critical condition after a horrific beating and is in the head trauma section of the ICU (Apologies for the incorrect report that Luiz had been moved out of ICU). Luiz is suffering from multiple broken bones, including a fractured skull, and internal bleeding. The family, and the club, are asking that you send Luiz your prayers and positive thoughts.
The cowards who did this are still at-large. There were six of them. If anyone has any information about this, PLEASE call the Boston Police Department at 1-800-494-TIPS.

On Sunday night, our teammate and Mass United family member Luiz DaCunha was savagely beaten outside of a club in Boston. He has been moved out of ICU and is out of immediate danger but remains in serious or critical condition. We are asking for your prayers and thoughts to be with Luiz and his family as they deal with the aftermath of this horrible event. The perpetrators, believed to number six (COWARDS!), are still at large. As such, we are also asking that anyone with ANY information to PLEASE contact the Boston Police Department at 1-800-494-TIPS. These people MUST be held accountable for their horrific actions.

Mass United FC Lynn takes on perennial MSSL powerhouse Boston Olympiakos on Sunday at Manning Field in Lynn. Mass United FC Lynn sits atop the table in the MSSL’s First Division after starting the season with four wins and a draw. Olympiakos is currently in third behind United and Albania United, a position not likely to sit well with the 2010 National Amateur Cup champs. The Riders are coming off a 9-0 drubbing of West Africans United, while Olympiakos is looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss to Southie FC. Kick off is scheduled for 7pm and admission is free.

The Mass United first team hosts Rhode Island Reds FC in a New England derby on Saturday at 5pm at Manning Field in Lynn. The Reds are coming off a season-opening loss to Brooklyn Italians in NPSL play.
The Riders first team were last in action on May 5th against the Western Mass Pioneers in a 5-3 loss. The match was part of a day-long soccer celebration marking the re-opening of Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, MA.
Admission for Saturday’s exhibition is free and the match kicks off at 5pm.

Lynn, MA- Mass United will be sitting out the 2013 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season. The United first team will still be active however, as the Riders will be participating in national tournaments and will have several exhibition matches scheduled during the summer, including a home-and-away series with the NPSL’s Rhode Island Reds FC. The move will allow the club to focus more on the several local squads under the Mass United banner. This includes a team in the Union International Soccer League, and several teams in the Massachusetts State and Bay State Soccer Leagues, two of which currently sit atop their respective tables. Our commitment to our sport and our community is unwavering and we are, as in all we do, United.

Pre-game ceremony commemorating the re-opening of Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, MA.

Ludlow, MA- Mass United faced the Western Mass Pioneers in Ludlow, MA. on Sunday, coming up short in the Commonwealth Derby, 5-3. The match was part of an all-day soccer celebration in honor of the re-opening of the newly-turfed Lusitano Stadium. United would like to congratulate the Pioneers, Gremio Lusitano, and the residents of Ludlow for coming together to make this New England soccer gem viable for years to come.
United fell behind 2-0 as the Pioneers maintained possession for much of the first half but were able to pull one back just before the break when Alencar “Junior” Ventura sent a low cross into the box from the left side which was drilled into the top left corner by OCane Williamson. The Riders carried that momentum with them into the second half but were unable to find an equalizer before the Pioneers made it 3-1 in the 58th minute after a terrific save by United keeper Nick Gardner could not be cleared by the defense. United again pulled back to within one only three minutes later when Ventura, who was one of United’s bright spots all afternoon, took the ball from a defender and blasted a low shot that the keeper could get a hand on but not stop.

United’s Alencar “Junior” Ventura was a force all afternoon, tallying 2 goals and an assist.

As United continued to push for a third goal, the Pioneers were forced to work the counter attack, which they did with deadly efficiency in the 70th minute with a lovely short chip shot over Gardner who had no choice but to come out and try to force the shot off target. The Pioneers struck once more in the 73rd minute, putting the match out of reach. As always however, United does not give up. Ventura capped off his afternoon with another goal in the 88th minute, giving him two goals and an assist on the day.

Lynn, MA- Mass United travels to Ludlow, Mass. on Sunday to face PDL side Western Mass Pioneers at the newly-renovated Lusitano Stadium in a Commonwealth Derby, or, Derby of the Commonwealth, if you will (either sounds so much better than Massachusetts Derby, don’t you think?). The game will be the first played on Lusitano’s new turf field, which replaced a grass field in existence since 1922. This will be the second exhibition of the season for the Riders, who defeated Stoughton Eagles SC (MSSL) in March, 4-0. The match kicks off at 3:15pm and directions to the venerable stadium in Ludlow can be found on the Pioneers website.

Lynn, MA- Mass United has posted links to two charities created to help victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon on its website. The One Fund was created by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick hours after the bombing. Hearts for Boston is using the artwork of local artist Dan Blakeslee to raise funds for the Richard family, whose family was devasted by the attack. Please do what you can to help your neighbors and fellow Bostonians as we continue to recover from these terrible deeds. We are UNITED, For Boston.

from wmpioneers.com-
FieldTurf installation at Lusitano Stadium
Pictures by David Henry www.sweetdogphotos.com

Lynn, MA- Mass United will help the Western Mass Pioneers usher in a new era at the historic Lusitano Stadium on May 5th when they face the PDL side in a pre-season exhibition. The stadium was resurfaced this off-season with a “soccer specific” turf blend that is FIFA approved. The new surface is much more cost-efficient and will allow the Pioneers to use the venerable stadium for years to come. This will be the first true match on the new turf.
The grounds of Lusitano Stadium have been hosting soccer matches since 1922. A simple dirt field for 50 years, the 70′s brought with it a grass surface and soccer legends like Eusebio and Branco. This strong soccer culture spawned the Western Mass Pioneers in 1998, who won the division 3 national championship in 1999.
The exhibition kicks off at 3:15 pm on Sunday, May 5th and the address for Lusitano Stadium is 400 Winsor St., Ludlow, Mass. Directions to the stadium can be found on the Pioneers website, here.

(L-R) UISL Founder & President Max Durena; UISL Treasurer Lleanna G. Bernard; Mass United Owner & Head Coach Jim Antonakas

Boston, MA- Mass United has reached agreement to play in the Union International Soccer League in 2013, allowing United to create even more opportunities for the 250 players in its system. The league is entering its second season after a very successful inaugural that saw its all-star team win the Liga de Campeones in Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium last September. As each team in the league represents a nation, the Riders will be the USA entry and will compete against teams representing Haiti and Brazil, among many others. For more information on the UISL visit their website, uisl.org.