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SF Glens sign Stephen Cordova for the club’s inaugural season in the USL Premier Development League (PDL).

SF Glens Pleased with First PDL Signing Stephen Cordova

By SF Glens SC, 03/23/18, 2:45PM PDT

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Locally developed PDL and U.S. Open Cup veteran to fortify Glens' attack

The SF Glens are proud of their initial signing, forward Stephen Cordova, ahead of the club’s inaugural season in the USL Premier Development League (PDL).

"It was a pretty easy decision to make Stephen our first signing," team president J. Ramon Estevez said. "I know this phrase is now overused, but he really did check all the boxes. He's from San Francisco, has previous PDL experience, Division I experience, he's known and respected by the top local teams, and is a respected coach with a history of success at the club, high school, and college levels. Stephen really stands out as connection to many of the diverse groups that make up the San Francisco soccer community."

Cordova brings vast experience to the roster, with his first foray in the PDL coming at age 18 during his time with the San Francisco Seals (2006-09). A San Francisco native, the talented striker has come full-circle from his days as a promising youth in the Seals’ Super Y League squad.

"We are every excited that Steve will be joining us this season," head coach Javier Ayala-Hil added. "He's a local product with plenty of experience playing in the San Francisco area. One thing he has been very consistent with during his playing career is his knack for goal. Those are qualities you can't really teach."

After netting over 40 goals at City College of San Francisco (2006-08) and earning Adidas JuCo All-American status, he completed his college career at San Jose State University (2008-10), where he played under the tutelage of Spartan legend Gary St. Clair.

Cordova subsequently competed twice in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for DV8 Defenders SC (2010-12) before joining Mezcala SC (2014-2017)—a stint that included hoisting the San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL) trophy in 2014 after a successful run to championship glory.

Now the cerebral goalscorer aims to add to his total with the SF Glens, where he also has served as a longtime coach in the club’s youth ranks. From 2011 to 2016, Cordova, who holds a USSF National C license, led the 2001 Boys Team from NorCal Bronze to NorCal Gold. He currently coaches the Glens’ 03B Celtic Academy II, 08B Celtic Academy I, 08B Celtic Academy II, and 08B SFGE Black.

Cordova’s leadership abilities have also been on display at higher levels as an assistant coach at both Skyline College in San Bruno (2016-present) and St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco (2012-present). At Skyline, he contributed to a drastic turnaround, as the Trojans went from 2-13 to 14-4-4 and a second-round playoff berth in only three seasons. At S.I., Cordova was part of a staff that recently steered the Wildcats to back-to-back West Catholic Athletic League championships and a berth in the California state title game in 2018.

The SF Glens open their season May 5th at Boxer Stadium against the Santa Cruz Breakers. Their schedule includes some mouth-watering matches, including a local derby against SF City FC as well as other notable games with Fresno FC and Ventura County Fusion.

Season Tickets are available at www.sfglens.com/tickets.

About the San Francisco Glens

Founded in 1961, the San Francisco Glens have been a mainstay of the San Francisco soccer landscape for decades, winning numerous titles in the historic San Francisco Soccer-Football League and competing for National titles throughout the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.

With the addition of the San Francisco Glens PDL team, and in partnership with their youth club, San Francisco Glens Evolution, the Glens form the largest soccer club in San Francisco, providing all levels of competition to nearly 1,500 youth and adult soccer players.

To learn more about the San Francisco Glens, visit SFGlens.com and follow the club on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

About the Premier Development League

A part of the United Soccer Leagues, which also operates the Division II USL, the newly-announced USL Division III, and Super Y League, the PDL has served as the proven stepping-stone for aspiring professionals.

Nearly 70 percent of all MLS SuperDraft selections since 2010 have PDL experience, including a total of 59 alums chosen in 2017. Among the many players to have played in the PDL before making their professional debuts include Newcastle United FC defender DeAndre Yedlin, 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Tim Melia, 2017 MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara, and U.S. Men’s National Team members such as Darlington Nagbe, Brad Guzan, Geoff Cameron, and Tim Ream.