Des Moines Menace

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 American Soccer Pyramid. 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 aims to join USL Championship in 2024.

The team plays its home games at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Iowa. The team's colors are red, white and black.

History

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 Minnesota Thunder. They dropped down to the USISL Premier League in 1995, and finished third in the Central Division with a 10–8 record behind divisional champs and Iowa neighbors Sioux City Breeze, qualifying for the post-season playoffs in the process. They dispatched the Austin Lone Stars 3–2 in overtime in the divisional semi-final, and then overcame Sioux City 1–0 in the Divisional Final to progress to the national finals tournament. Menace lost the national semi final 3–1 to Florida outfit Cocoa Expos, and they then lost the third place playoff to San Francisco United All-Blacks, but it set the wheels in motion for one of American amateur soccer's most storied franchises; Aaron Leventhal led the attack, scoring 10 goals on the season, while goalkeeper Casey Mann posted an impressive 1.73 GAA rating.

The 1996 campaign was disappointing for Des Moines, finishing with a 7–7 record in the Southern Division, in 5th place behind Austin Lone Stars, and out of the playoffs in the first round following a 1–0 defeat to the Lone Stars.