FC Tampa Bay Makes Announcements On 2011 Season Roster

FC Tampa Bay of the North American Soccer League made a number of announcements concerning their 2011 season roster.

First, the team confirmed defender Yendry Diaz, midfielder Scott Buete, Pascal Millen, Jeremy Christie and Chad Burt, and goalkeepers Phil Lamarre and Daryl Sattler will return next season after signing multi-year deals prior to the 2010 season.

Diaz scored one goal for the team and played in 23 of 30 games. He was seventh on the team in most minutes played.

Buete started five of six games in their 2010 season after sitting out much of it with nagging injuries. He underwent surgery this summer and is expected to make a full recovery for 2011.

Millen had a goal and two assists and played in all 30 games, the only Tampa Bay player to do so. He ranked third in most minutes played.

Christie, the only USSF Division 2 Pro League player to compete in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, playing for New Zealand, had two goals in 11 games for Tampa Bay.

Burt, from St. Petersburg, FL, scored his first pro goal in one of 14 games he played in last season.

Lamarre saw no playing time for the team in his rookie season.

Sattler started 24 games for FC Tampa Bay and had a goals against average of 1.42 with four shutouts. He was also fifth on the team in minutes played.

Secondly, Tampa Bay said defenders Julian Valentin, Rob Valemtino and Eric Ustruck, along with midfielders Takuya Yamada and Drew Yates are all free agents.

Valentin, Tampa Bay's captain in 2010, led the team in minutes played and had two goals in 29 regular season games.

Valentino was second in minutes played as he started 27 matches in 2010.

Ustruck played five times for Tampa Bay before breaking a leg in July, which ended his regular season.

Yamada, fourth in minutes played, started 25 of 29 games and had two assists. The team says they are close to signing him to a new long-term contract.

Yates started seven of 14 games for FC Tampa Bay.

Finally, they announced a contract has been offered to Ricardo Sanchez, whose 2011 option year on his previous contract was declined.