Rio Grande Valley Bravos was an American soccer team based in Brownsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference, until the end of the 2010 season, after which the franchise was terminated and the team left the league.
The team played its home games at Brownsville Sports Park, where they had played since 2010. The team's colors were navy blue, white and gold.
History
The Rio Grande Valley Bravos were due to make their competitive debut on May 2, 2009,[1] against Laredo Heat, but the game was postponed due to concerns about the spread of swine influenza.[2] The Bravos finally played their first official game on May 8, 2009, a 1–1 tie with fellow expansion franchise West Texas United Sockers.[3] The first goal in franchise history was scored by Adrian Vazquez.
The Bravos had their franchise terminated by the USL Premier Development League in October 2010 when the club’s interim owner was unable to complete his financial obligations to the league. A new franchise, the Rio Grande Valley Grandes, were announced as replacing the Bravos in the PDL for the 2011 season.[4]