The Bakersfield Brigade Men’s Premier Development League (PDL) soccer team announced today that they will kick off their 2008 season with an “away” game against the Ventura County Fusion on Friday May 2.

The Brigade Home season will kick off on Saturday May 10th as they play host to the Los Angeles Legends (formally the LA Storm). All Brigade home games will be played at Bakersfield Christian High School and will begin at 7:30pm on Saturday evenings.

“We are looking forward to a very exciting 2008 season,” stated Vice President and General Manager Joe Jimenez.  “We begin the season with two away games (Fusion 5/2, Rattlers 5/3) back-to-back, two wins on the road will definitely set the tone for the season,” added Jimenez

The Brigade qualified last year for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup by winning their first 3 Cup qualifier games which allowed them to host the first round of the tournament at Bakersfield Christian High School against USL’s Professional Division 1 team the Portland Timbers. The Brigade’s opening game on May 2nd against the Fusion is a Cup qualifier, with the remaining 3 qualifier games going against the LA Legends on May 10th (home), Fresno Fuego on May 17th (home) and the So. Cal Seahorses on May 24th (away).   

The Bakersfield Brigade Soccer Club Franchise is a PDL team, playing within the United Soccer Leagues’ PDL Southwestern Conference which is made up of ten teams throughout California. League play begins in April and goes through July 2008.