THE VERY BEST OF THE WILD WEST

Nearly a century after German soccer players founded Fort Wayne Sport Club, their latest challenge was a resounding success as they lifted the Midwest Premier League Great Lakes Conference Championship in Lansing, Michigan by downing MWPL powerhouse Inter Detroit on July 29, 2023.

With one single losing effort against upstart Troy United blemishing their record, acclimating to a new league did not hamper Fort Wayne. They would view the rest of the Great Lakes Western Division from the top, or near the top of the table for the entire season. The 2023 roster was an offensively potent and defensively stalwart group finishing with a +27-goal differential, good for second in the entire MWPL, only behind Inter Detroit.

Before a ball could be dropped under the MWPL banner, Fort Wayne had ambitions to bring focus to their newest athletic undertaking. “The biggest focus for us was to build a winning culture. Our number one goal was to create an environment that would attract the community to something that was different,” Head Coach Nick Potter said. Coming from the Ohio Valley Premier League brought its own challenges but also created some opportunities that were beneficial.

With stops in the USL League 2, even back with it being known as the “PDL” and being involved with Damarcus Beasley’s Fort Wayne FC, Potter has a good cache of experience with amateur soccer. “I felt the first thing that I saw people who were passionate, creating an environment in the Midwest that met people’s needs which is an environment for kids to develop in a competitive nature,” he said. With the MWPL completing just its third season Potter said he felt the support from the league and the competition was at a good balance compared to their experiences last year.

Fort Wayne may have made it look easy on the pitch but behind the scenes, it was anything but. As is common with amateur summer leagues, players have obligations. Whether it be injury (Fort Wayne had two goalkeepers go down), schooling, family, or life in general. The availability of the roster was a constant carousel aside from a few select players. “We really only trained twice a week, so the adversity was we just didn’t have consistency. I don’t think there was a game that we had a consistent starting lineup,” Potter explained.

Another unique wrinkling to the Fort Wayne squad was a core of roughly 11 players that played under Potter’s tutelage when they were as young as 14. “These were kids that understood the style and they just needed to go in there where the new kids are part of the team and were able to gel into that style and be leaders on the field,” said Potter. Club captain Jose Rodriguez was tabbed by Potter as a pillar during the season. “He was a great leader, super positive. One of our core standards for our team was the definition of what ‘Team’ is, which is ‘Together Everyone Achieves More. We knew we needed a captain that was able to do that and Jose represented that. He came in, made sure that we stayed positive through adversity and played well. He really kept us going.”

The message from Potter in the locker room in Lansing was a simple one:

You deserve to be there.

He reminded them that even though the focus has been on them for the whole season, they were playing the game for more than themselves. They are representing everyone behind the scenes that helped make this season, and the club in general, happen. “What is the essence that is going to continue to give credit and extend period of success by winning this? Trying not to win it for themselves, but to win it for people who are not allowed to be there.” Due to Fort Wayne’s long existence, there is a heavy family-like presence that emanates club wide, from the youth systems all the way to the first team.

Great Lakes Championship games have always lived up to the occasion and this year’s edition was more of the same. A hard fought, back and forth game saw neither side willing to concede in the first half. It took a grueling 84 minutes, but Potter’s group broke the deadlock and added another in the dying moments to leave no doubt that supremacy belonged to the MWPL debutants.

Having a history of trophies with other clubs, Potter is no stranger to being handed hardware at the end of the season. But completing the first ever Great Lakes double and having the league Golden Boot winner in Higor Barbieri, this season will hold a special place for him. “Everything is a blessing. I truly believe that if you come into the right attitude and put positivity into the universe, it’s going to come back on you. The focus was always to continue providing an environment of positivity and celebration.” He explained. “The game is just a catalyst for people to be better versions of themselves. My goal was to go into that team and really say to them ‘My goal is to celebrate what you already know and really take a vision of how we want to play and see what we can do with this.’”

UNDISPUTED BEAST OF THE EAST

Ask anyone who knows about the “benchmark” clubs in the MWPL and Inter Detroit will be one of the first names out of their mouth. Since 2021, only Lansing Common FC (75) and West Michigan Bearings (63) have accumulated more points than Inter (57), but neither have been consistent enough when it mattered to boast having Great Lakes Conference trophy in their cabinet.

The task to go back-to-back as defending Great Lakes Conference Champions took an interesting turn as it was announced the conference would be divided into East and West divisions in 2023. But the potential for the first historic “Double” was undoubtedly enough to make any club salivate at the chance of immortality. With no shortage of confidence and undeniable quality, it would surprise no one to see them lift three league trophies in two seasons.

Eastern Stadium in Lansing, Michigan was once again the backdrop for the MWPL Great Lakes Conference match. Inter was in familiar surroundings as their 2022 season ended in a thrilling cup clinching effort against the hosting Robins of Lansing Common F.C.

The message leading up to the clash was one justifying that group belonged in the moment. Inter just came off taking the defending NISA Champion Michigan Stars into extra time in the NISA Independent Cup before eventually falling 3-2. Couple that with having a nervy conclusion to the regular season, there was no motivation needed.

“Win it. We had so many games where we let teams stay in it and hurt us in the long run,” said Inter President Edwin Jimenez. A 90’ minute goal saw their chance slip through their grasp of the at the death. With two cup finals and a second straight division title this season is still worthy of immense praise

Inter hasn’t lived their entire existence near the pinnacle of the league. With seventh place finish out of eight in the 2021 Eastern Division table, it was a brutal inaugural venture. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross would have suffered whiplash with how quickly the club came to peace with the campaign and began a course correct for a revenge tour. The ripple effect was impossible to ignore as they stomped through their schedule on the way to the 2022 Eastern Division Championship. “I feel like we have had pressure from day one when we weren’t winning anything,” Jimenez explained. “Now with two years of success it doesn’t really feel any different. We have to go out and compete because we could go out against second place, or tenth place and they are going to play you to the best of their ability. It’s a final when most teams play us and it’s just the honest truth.”

Inter possesses two scorelines of 9-0 against United West FC and Troy United, a 4-0 beating put on Michigan Stars U-23s, and a 5-0 honest days work against Holland Struikrovers FC in the 2023. Jimenez doesn’t need you to take his word for it, the proof is there for all to see.

Trying to do anything is less than ideal with one hand tied behind your back. “Considering we might not have the financial support other teams have or have that community following us just yet, we have been able to get so much success by working hard and getting the right people to believe in us,” Jimenez went on the say.

When it boils down to it you work with what you are given and past two 24 months have proven Inter can do more with less. Alarm bells should be sounding for the entirety of the Great Leaks Conference because what they have achieved the past two seasons is a demand for respect among their league peers.

- Rich Schenck