Cedar Rapids Rampage expanding with addition of outdoor pro soccer team

CEDAR RAPIDS – From the day they announced they were bringing indoor soccer to town, the owners of the Cedar Rapids Rampage publicly professed the desire to one day add an outdoor team.

Nearly nine months later, their desire has come to fruition in the form of the Cedar Rapids Rampage United, an outdoor professional soccer team that will begin play in the Premier League of America this May.

'The success of the Rampage really was kind of the icing on the cake to pull the trigger,' Rampage co-owner and general manager Chris Kokalis said at a Thursday afternoon press conference in downtown Cedar Rapids. 'The clubs that we're competing against – the Milwaukees, the Missouris, the St. Louis' – a lot of the culture they've built with their clubs has been from players staying year round.'

The Premier League of America is a 12-team league with franchises in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. Formerly known as the Great Lakes Premier League, each team will play a 10-game season from May through July.

The Rampage United will play at Clark Field at Coe College and be coached by Rampage team captain Hewerton Moreira, who led the Major Arena Soccer League with 29 assists this season. Moreira, 36, has collegiate soccer coaching experience as well as serving as the President and Director of Coaching at the Milwaukee-based Brasilian Soccer Academy for the past decade.

'We believe that this league is the perfect first step for us,' Moreira said.

The announcement comes four days after the conclusion of the indoor club's expansion season in the MASL. After dropping its first seven games, Cedar Rapids (5-15) closed the season with five wins in its last 13. That was not enough to save the job of Coach Jeff Kraft, whose termination was also announced Thursday by Kokalis. The search for a new indoor coach is underway.

Rampage forward Gordy Gurson was one of several players in attendance who stated plans to live permanently in Cedar Rapids and play for both teams. Gurson joined the Rampage after a Jan. 13 trade with St. Louis and scored 17 goals in nine games.

'It's just nice that I feel I was worth it and the trade was successful,' Gurson said. 'I look forward to making a difference on and off the field for this community.'

An updated PLA schedule that includes Cedar Rapids is expected next week. Tryouts will be held in mid-April and training camp will begin in early May.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com