Waves’ Owner Puts Team, Two Others on the Market

The end appears to be near for Orange County’s only professional soccer team, the Waves. Team owner Stephen Peacock, who last month dropped the franchise from the A-League to D3, announced Tuesday that he is offering his D3 teams, the Waves, Bay Area Seals and Riverside Elite for sale for $3.5 million.

Peacock Financial, a venture capital company in San Jacinto, owns 85% of the Waves, 80% of the Seals and 53% of the Elite. Peacock did not return phone calls to his office, but a press release stated that Peacock sports subsidiary is downsizing its operations in professional soccer and will sell off its professional franchises. Peacock still owns a piece of the A-League San Diego Flash.

Peacock purchased the Waves from the A-League in January after the previous franchise, the Orange County Zodiac, folded in December 1999 after three years of operation. He vowed to “make a difference here” and build from the ground up. But the Waves, who played their games at Santa Ana Stadium, went 12-15 this year. They did not qualify for the playoffs and failed to build a fan base.