Des Moines Menace
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Full name | Des Moines Menace Soccer Club | |||
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Nickname(s) | Menace, Red Army | |||
Founded | 1994 | |||
Stadium | Valley Stadium West Des Moines, Iowa | |||
Capacity | 14,557 | |||
Owner | Kyle Krause | |||
Head Coach | Troy McKerrell | |||
League | USL League Two | |||
2023 | 1st, Deep North Division Playoffs: Conference Final | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/Desmoinesmenaceold.png)
Des Moines Menace is an American soccer team based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system. The Menace have had sustained success in USL League Two during their tenure, claiming the USL League Two championship in the 2021 campaign. The Menace also hold three regular season championships, coming in the 2018, 2019, and 2021 campaigns respectively.
The team plays its home games at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Iowa. The team's colors are red, white and black.
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
The early years (1994–1999)
Des Moines Menace began their competitive life as an expansion team in the old United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL), playing in the Midwest Division. They finished their first season in 1994 with a 5–13 record, in seventh place behind divisional champions
The 1996 campaign was disappointing for Des Moines, finishing with a 7–7 record in the Southern Division, in 5th place behind
1998 saw an improvement in regular season play from the Iowans, as they finished second in the Central Division behind the
The PDSL became the PDL in 1999, but Des Moines were unable to capitalize on their playoff run from the previous year; they ended the season fourth in the Heartland Division behind
2000s Success (2000–2003)
2002 was a banner year for Des Moines, who enjoyed a tremendous regular season, remaining unbeaten the entire season, and topping the Heartland Division by a clear 20 points from their closest rivals,
Calloway left his manager's post in the 2002–03 offseason to become head coach of the
Coaching rotations and Heartland success (2004–2006)
Despite the team's success, head coach Petersen was replaced by
Grune paid for his failure with his job, as Menace hired former standout goalkeeper
Des Moines began 2006 looking to defend their PDL title, and began the season in the best possible way, rattling off six wins in their first seven games, including a trio of impressive home wins, 3–0 over
Post title struggles and resurgence (2007–2009)
2007 did not go the way of The Red Army, as the Iowans missed the playoffs for just the second time in seven seasons. Everything started brightly for Des Moines with a 5–0 opening day victory of
Des Moines began 2008 sluggishly; they won just two of their opening six games (although one of those was a 7–0 hammering of
2009 would see the retirement of the legendary Boltnar, the announcement of the end of the Mann era, and the first divisional title for the Menace since 2002. The Menace would open with three consecutive wins before drawing three consecutive matches where they would concede late goals for the draw. A draw and win at defending PDL champion Thunder Bay put Des Moines well in control of the Heartland Division, and the Menace would run their unbeaten streak to 15 matches dating over a year before finally falling at home to Thunder Bay. The Menace would finish the regular season 11–1–4. A 2–1 victory over
2010s and USL (2010–2019)
The 2010 season started off seemingly like a potential title repeat with the Menace racing to a 4–1–0 start and qualifying for the
The 2011 season saw the Menace finish unbeaten in the regular season (12–0–4). In a tight playoff race (the top three clubs finished twenty points clear of the fourth-place team), the Menace edged out Real Colorado on head-to-head. However, in the playoffs, they would concede a late goal to force extra time against the
In 2012, once again they engaged in a close battle with Colorado for the second playoff spot behind Thunder Bay. A dramatic late victory against the Chill would keep the Menace's hopes alive, but they fell one point short of the Foxes for the final spot. After the season, it was announced that Calloway would be parting ways with the club again.
The 2013 season—the 20th season of Menace Soccer—was highlighted by a run to the third round of the
The Menace entered the 2013 season under the direction of a new head coach, Mike Jeffries, and a new general manager, Matt Homonoff. The season of highs and lows ended with a 6–6–2 regular-season record—the team's first nonwinning record since 1999. For the second-straight year, the team missed the PDL playoffs.
In 2014, the Menace's 12–1–1 record was the best in the PDL and they won the Heartland Division title. They lost the Central Conference Final to the eventual PDL Champion
Mike Jeffries left to become head coach of the
On January 5, 2017, John Pascarella, formerly goalkeeper coach for Sporting Kansas City, was named head coach.[5]
In April 2019, Mark McKeever was announced as new head coach of the Menace, replacing departing Alen Marcina. The Menace were also part of the rebranding of the former PDL into USL League Two.[6]
COVID-19 and Champions (2020-present)
Following a cancelled 2020 USL League Two season, the Menace embarked on what would be a historic 2021 season. Winning their first nine consecutive games, the Menace spent most of the season on top of the league rankings. Falling just once at an away game in Chicago, the Menace finished the season 11–1–0 as both Heartland Division champions and USL2 regular-season champions. The Menace entered the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed, and dominated Texas United 5–0, followed by a tense 1–0 victory over Flint City to qualify for the Central Conference Final. Sticking to their winning ways, the Menace triumphed over Kalamazoo FC 2–1 to claim the Central Conference Title. Just two days later, the Menace faced Portland Timbers U23 in the National Semifinal and emerged with a 2–0 victory. In the final playoff match of the 2021 season, the Menace put one goal past NC Fusion U23, which was enough to secure their second league title. Each of their playoff matches were hosted at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, with the league final breaking both a club and league attendance record with 7,342 fans in attendance. Manel Busquets was named MVP of the match.
In 2022, the team once again made a run in the playoffs after completing an undefeated regular season under first year Head Coach Dean Johnson. However, the team ultimately fell to Flint City in the Elite 8 round in penalty kicks.
The team set a record winning 30 consecutive home games in 2023. They qualified for the playoffs yet again as well reaching the Elite 8 before being defeated by Flint City in back-to-back seasons, losing 2–0.
On November 16, 2023, Troy McKerrell was named as the thirteenth head coach in club history. McKerrell is a former Menace player who had most recently coached Chicago City to the USL League Two Round of 16 in the 2023 season.[7]
USL Pro Iowa (Future)
On September 18, 2019, Menace owner Kyle Krause announced plans to bring a USL Championship team to Des Moines, pending construction of a downtown stadium. Said USL President Jake Edwards, “There is very strong local ownership and a huge appetite for professional soccer. All that’s remaining now is the development of a soccer-specific stadium, and once that occurs, we look forward to delivering a professional soccer club that this community can be proud of.”[8] On January 27, 2022, USL officially awarded Des Moines a USL Championship expansion club, originally set to play its inaugural season in 2024.[9] However, a series of delays has paused the project indefinitely.[10]
Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, USL2, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Besmir Bega
Matt Bobo
Tomas Boltnar
Danny Cruz
Edwin Disang
Tighe Dombrowski
Zeke Dombrowski
- Edson Edward
Joe Germanese
Neathan Gibson
Andy Gruenebaum
Garrett Halfhill
Ezra Hendrickson
Christoper Jans
Joseph Kabwe
Michael Kraus
- Leonard Krupnik
Barry Lavety
Shawn-Claud Lawson
Mickey Lewis
Eddie Mukahanana
Lamar Neagle
Matt Nickell
Dan O'Brien
Nicki Paterson
Jonny Pagel
Stu Riddle
Joe Salem
Andre Shinyashiki
Kevin Souter
Josh Wicks
Chase Wileman
Kris O'Neil
Chris Mueller
Brent Kallman
Andrew Putna
Tom Barlow
- PDL MVP from the Czech Republic, is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, with 73 goals. He retired from competitive play prior to the 2009 season.[11] Boltnar never played fully professional soccer at any level, and now works as a cost analyst for Kum & Go, as well as coaching Menace Academy boys teams.
Team record: year-by-year
Year | Division | League | Regular season | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. attendance |
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1994 | 3 | USISL | 7th, Midwest | did not qualify | did not enter | 67 |
1995 | 4 | USISL Premier League | 3rd, Central | 4th Place | did not qualify | 234 |
1996 | 4 | USISL Premier League | 5th, Southern | Conference Semifinals | did not qualify | 806 |
1997 | 4 | USISL PDSL | 3rd, Central | Conference Quarterfinals | did not qualify | 576 |
1998 | 4 | USISL PDSL | 2nd, Central | 3rd Place | did not qualify | 789 |
1999 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 1,226 |
2000 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 2,356 |
2001 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | 3rd Place | did not qualify | 2,626 |
2002 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 2nd Round
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4,402 |
2003 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 1st Round
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3,971 |
2004 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 4,415 |
2005 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | PDL Champions | 4th Round
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4,112 |
2006 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 3rd Round
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3,927 |
2007 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3,589 |
2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3,364 |
2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Final | did not qualify | 3,837 |
2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Heartland | did not qualify | 1st Round
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3,488 |
2011 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 1st Round (*)
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3,372 |
2012 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Heartland | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3,474 |
2013 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Heartland | did not qualify | 3rd Round
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3,137 |
2014 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Final | 3rd Round
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3,340 |
2015 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 2nd Round
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— |
2016 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Final | 3rd Round
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2,856 |
2017 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Heartland | Conference Final | 1st Round
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— |
2018 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Heartland | Conference Final | did not qualify | — |
2019 | 4 | USL League Two | 1st, Heartland | Conference Semifinals | 2nd Round | — |
2020 | 4 | USL League Two | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2021 | 4 | USL League Two | 1st, Heartland | USL2 Champions | Cancelled | — |
2022 | 4 | USL League Two | 1st, Deep North | Conference Final | 2nd Round | — |
2023 | 4 | USL League Two | 2nd, Heartland | Conference Final | 2nd Round | — |
(*) competing as Iowa Menace
Honors
Premier Development League / USL League Two
- League champions (2): 2005, 2021
- Regular-season champions (5): 2002, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Central Conference champions (2): 2005, 2021
- Division champions (11)
- Central Division champions (2): 1995, 1998
- Heartland Division champions (8): 2002, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Deep North Division champions (1): 2022
- PDL Organization of the Year (1): 2009
Head coaches
Blair Reid (1994)
Blair Reid and Doug Mello (1995)
Blair Reid (1996–1997)
Al Driscoll (1998–2000)
Laurie Calloway (2001–2002)
Greg Petersen (2003)
Marc Grune (2004)
Casey Mann (2005–2009)
Laurie Calloway (2010–2012)
Mike Jeffries (2013–2014)[12]
Mike Matkovich (2015–2016)
John Pascarella (2017)
Alen Marcina (2018)
Mark McKeever (2019–2021)
Dean Johnson (2022–2023)
Troy McKerrell (2024–present)
Stadiums
- Stadium at Dowling Catholic High School; West Des Moines, Iowa (1994)
- Cara McGrane Memorial Stadium; Des Moines, Iowa(1995–2004)
- Waukee Stadium; Waukee, Iowa (2005–2007)
- Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa (2008–2018, 2021–present)
- Drake Stadium; Des Moines, Iowa (2019)
- Pro Iowa Stadium - Stadium in downtown Des Moines (Expected to open in mid-2025)
In their early days, the Menace played their home matches on the soccer fields of
Attendance skyrocketed at McGrane Stadium. After averaging a mere 67 fans in their inaugural season and between 234 and 341 from 1995 to 1997, attendance passed 2,000 in 2001 and hit a record 4,415 fans/match in the final season at McGrane, 2004.
Buoyed by the increasing attendance averages (far and away the league leaders), the Menace began making plans to build a
With plans for a new stadium collapsing, the Menace moved to Waukee Stadium in nearby Waukee for the 2005 season, where they remained through 2007. Attendance was in the high 3000s to low 4000s at Waukee Stadium. The Menace also played home matches at Coach Cownie Stadium on the south side of Des Moines when Waukee Stadium had conflicts in the preseason.
For the 2008 season, Menace relocated to
The Menace moved to historic Drake Stadium for the 2019 season. This was the first time the team played in Des Moines proper since 2004.[14]
Starting in 2021, the Menace returned to
References
- ^ De Moines Menace [@MenaceSoccer94] (February 4, 2024). "We're bringing back the OG crest for the 30th season of Des Moines Menace soccer! Excited to kickoff the celebration competing in the 2024 @opencup pic.twitter.com/nmghYCMbJV" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Sporting KC 2-0 Des Moines Menace". MLS Soccer. May 28, 2013. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Cuellar, Chris. "Menace coach Jeffries leaves for pro job". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Menace Hire Matkovich As Head Coach". United Soccer Leagues (USL). February 5, 2015. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ "John Pascarella accepts position as Des Moines Menace head coach". Sporting Kansas City. January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Lawhon, Danny (April 3, 2019). "Des Moines Menace finding new home digs, 'new' league for 2019 season". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "McKerrell Named Menace Head Coach". MenaceSoccer.com. Des Moines Menace. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "KRAUSE GROUP MAKES GAME-CHANGING ANNOUNCEMENT". USL Pro Iowa. September 18, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ "United Soccer League Welcomes Pro Iowa to USL Championship". United Soccer League. January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "The Des Moines Register". www.desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ "Boltnar Retires". Uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ "Jeffries tabbed to lead Menace". Menacesoccer.com. Retrieved 2013-01-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "News". Menacesoccer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- Des Moines Register. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ "Venues". Des Moines Menace Soccer. Retrieved 2020-03-20.