Come the 15th June it will be three years since Crystal Palace announced that it had launched Crystal Palace USA - a brand new professional Football set-up that would be competing in America's USL leagues.

Here we take a look at some of the highlights from the past three years.

 Crystal Palace USA and USA Academy is launched.

The aim of this new initiative was simple: To produce talent worthy of first team football in England and for Crystal Palace FC.

Two managers, working side-by-side, were appointed in the shape of Jim Cherneski and Pete Medd and they quickly set about signing up a squad with a payroll of over $1 million.

At the launch Vice Chairman Dominic Jordan revealed the club's clear objective:

"We see this as a vital extension of our already growing recruitment network. The facilities and people involved in the CPFC USA are first class and just as importantly, represent a true extension of the Palace way of doing things.

"We continue to make investments in the Club's future and are excited by the prospect of our investment giving us access to the top US youth talent, in what is without doubt, one of the fastest growing football nations."

 Palace followed up the news of the launch with details of a pre-season tour to the USA, incorporating two fixtures.

 First was a match against Palace USA on July 15th at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where Palace got their tour to the USA off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory.

A brace from Lewis Grabban in the first half saw Palace lead at the break by 2-1, before Tommy Black added a third goal in the second half to seal Peter Taylor's second successive friendly win in charge of the Eagles.

 That win was followed up by a showpiece event against MLS giants LA Galaxy four days later.

But unfortunately the final match of Palace's US tour was abandoned at half-time due to heavy rain and an electrical storm with the score at 1-1.

The Eagles had got off to a great start as Jon Macken scored after just five minutes. Charlie Sheringham fired a hard shot on goal that Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin parried to Macken whose shot from a difficult angle found the back of the net.

The reigning MLS champions fought back and in the 13th minute forward Alan Gordon headed against the crossbar from a Cobi Jones corner. Fifteen minutes later Galaxy levelled as former Arsenal trainee Paulo Nagamura ran onto John Wolyniec's throughball and buried a low shot past Julian Speroni.

 Following the success of the tour an agreement was made soon after that two Palace starlets would join the USA set-up for the summer.

The two players were Lewwis Spence and Charlie Sheringham, both 19-years-old and who were both coming to the end of their first year as professionals with the Eagles. They joined up with Crystal Palace Baltimore team to play in the United Soccer League Second Division, which is the third tier of professional football in the USA.

Speaking about the decision to send the players to the US sister club, Palace boss Peter Taylor said: "It will be a good experience for them and will give them the chance to get some games under their belts and return here fitter and stronger for next season.

"The whole experience of being away in another country will also help in their development and playing regular matches in a competitive league will be of real benefit too."

 In their first season Palace USA finished fifth in the USL-Division 2 table after gaining 32 points from their 20 matches.

After an initial shaky start where they failed to pick up a point from their opening four games, Palace USA began earning results after a 3-0 thumping of the Wilmington Hammerheads.

In fact they went on to only lose two more games for the rest of the season as they recorded nine wins, five draws and six defeats, while striker Gary Brooks top scored for the club with seven goals from just nine appearances.

For a full season review click here.

That summer it was Palace USA's turn to make the journey across the Atlantic to play in an exhibition match during an international break that had interrupted the English Championship season.

A 28th minute header by defender Matt Lawrence proved the difference in a tight affair at Selhurst Park as Palace scraped through with a 1-0 win.

Palace USA kicked off their second season USL-2 with a 3-0 win at home to Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

 Crystal Palace USA produced the shock of the tournament when they beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 in the Third round of the US Open Cup .

All expectation was on the Major League Soccer visitors who even surprised their own visiting fans with the team they put out featuring predominately reserve players.

However, with the USA Eagles only being able to play against the team in front of them, it was Palace who took the lead first.

Andrew Marshall converted the chance when he found some space between two defenders and headed past goalkeeper Zach Thornton courtesy of Bryan Harkin's corner on the 18^th minute.

Despite going a man down midway through the first half, Palace pushed on and got a second through Brooks when he volleyed in Paul Robson's cross in the 75th minute.

The Baltimore team's hopes of continuing to represent USL-2 into the final four of the Open Cup were dashed in a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out defeat to the New England Revolution a week later.

After seeing out a 1-1 draw it went to penalties. Shintaro Harada, Bryan Harkin and Matthew Mbuta each scored from the spot, matching the successes of the Revs' first three penalty takers. After Amaechi Igwe scored New England's fourth penalty kick, Val Teixeira stepped up to try and keep Palace level. He struck it well but Warren guessed correctly, holding on to the ball at full stretch to give the defending champs the opportunity to win it with the next kick.

That chance fell to Mauricio Castro - brought on as a substitute for Twellman in the dying seconds of extra time - and he didn't waste it, sending Rowland the wrong way and the crowd and players into jubilation.

Crystal Palace USA ended their 2008 league campaign with a 5-0 defeat against second placed Richmond. It was there heaviest defeat all season, but in the end it was not to matter as Palace USA finished fifth overall and had earned themselves a place in the Play Offs and a match against the Charlotte Eagles.

Unfortunately, Crystal Palace USA suffered heartache in the USL2 Semi-Final play-off match after a 2-1 defeat to Charlotte.

Shintaro Harada had given Palace a fourth minute lead after Brooks earned a free-kick when he was knocked over just outside of the box.

Val Teixeira stood over the ball and directed his teammates as if setting up a cross into the goalmouth. But Teixeira instead rolled the ball back to the middle where Shintaro Harada hit a first-time shot from 30 yards out. The ball sped along the turf and inside the right post for Palace's first goal against Charlotte all season.

But Charlotte responded three minutes into the second half with an equalier through Dustin Swineheart who connected with a Josh Rife cross to head the ball past Brian Rowland in the Palace goal.

 Palace USA signed four players ahead of the 2009 season. Forward Jordan Seabrook, defender/forward Zack Flores, defender Olawale "Wale" Adelusimi and defender Ryan Pierce were brought in to add vital strenght in depth ahead of the new season.

Crystal Palace Baltimore were held 0-0 by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in front of an announced crowd of 2,015 at UMBC Stadium in their opening match of the 2009 season.

Palace USA announced the signing of 19-year old midfielder Neil Vranis. The Potomac, Maryland native attended Winston Churchill High School where he led the team with 12 goals and four assists in his senior year and was awarded All-County, All-Metro and All-State honors. Vranis also played for the 2008 Baltimore Bays U-18s, scoring 15 goals and helping them to a National Championship title

Palace USA announced the signing of forward Machel Millwood.

Crystal Palace announces that they will be playing two matches on their USA pre-season tour.