Pacific Region
Regional Overview
This isn’t Bay Cities’ first rodeo in the NISA Independent Cup; however, last year they were bucked out of the tournament despite a good showing in their debut as a competitive club. With a year under their belt and three new, starry-eyed opponents, Bay Cities is now the veteran club and official league representative in the Pacific Region - but before they kick a ball in anger the following teams from Washington State, Northern Nevada, and Central Valley Cali, have to slug it out for the honor of taking them on at Sequoia Stadium.
BattleBorn Futbol Club
Northern Nevada based BattleBorn FC ply their trade in NISA Nation’s Pacific Region - where they are currently table toppers and have a chance to secure the title away to AFC Solano on June 25th. Club President, Marc Radow tells us “It's my understanding because we lead (and subsequently won) the NISA Nation Pacific Region, the opportunity for our club presented itself to participate in the Independent Cup. We're thankful for the opportunity and to be a part of NISA.”
With four wins and a draw in their last five league matches and a +19 goal difference, BattleBorn FC have no fears and take no quarter. Their regular season ends with that match against Solano and will have two weeks to prepare for their highly anticipated guests, Wenatchee All-Stars FC. “That's an exciting game,” says Radow, “It demonstrates the national presence of NISA. Our community should rise to the excitement and challenge from a team that's flying to Reno. We're excited about all that goes into making an event on this scale a reality.”
“Our BattleBorn FC mentality is professional. Professional comes from within, not from anything external; a paycheck, a stadium, or anything else. We have a committed team that includes athletes, coaches, admin. We're excited for sure, but that's because we love competition and the game. Our focus is to bring our best to that competition and win, no excuses.” They’re ready to take on what’s in front of them and bring their professional attitude to Redwood City, California.
Modesto City FC
“We received an invitation from NISA Federation and we couldn’t say no to this big opportunity,” said Christian Copeland, CEO of Modesto City FC. Mr. Brent Houdteaus and Mr. Matt Morse extended the invite to the club from Modesto, California. They currently sit in 3rd place in the Pacific Premier League table, averaging 1 point per game and struggling with a -8 goal difference. While Jesus Zamora, Javier Elizazarras Jr, Jareth Guzman and Angel Guzman are players who should still be involved, they have recruited a few extra hands to help out “we see both soccer clubs with respect and that’s why we recruited pro players from Northern California. We know that they are good clubs and we are looking forward to compete both soccer clubs.”
It has been the club’s goal to make it to the playoffs and get involved in the NISA Independent Cup - they’ play their first match away to Wenatchee All-Stars on Saturday, July 2nd. While they are focused on one match at a time, when asked about the possibility of facing Bay Cities in the Regional Final, Copeland told us “If we advance and we’ll get to play Bay Cities FC the obligations is double or triple harder. We’ll have to prepare ourselves to jump to the next challenge playing against a NISA Pro club. It will brings a lot attention Nation Wide and this is big opportunity for MCFC and our players . We’ll leave our souls in every match , for Our City , our Club , our families , our communities. God got MCFC’s back and we’ll represent Modesto Into the finals!” #HALAMODESTO
Learn more about Modesto City FC HERE
Wenatchee All-Stars FC
We had a chance to ask Coach and club Vice President, Mauricio Sanchez, about the path to entering the 2022 NISA Independent Cup. “This opportunity to play in the NISA Cup is the cherry on the cake for the All-Stars after winning the Cascadia League in 2021. After winning the CPL last year and finishing undefeated with a 13-1-0 season, the berth for NISA was awarded.” The All-Stars are currently league leaders again, with 16 points from 7 played - sporting a +10 goal difference. With only three matches in the regular season, they should be ramped up for this tournament just as their fixtures list is coming to a close. “We are blessed to have an opportunity to play outside of Washington. The talent we have in Central Washington needs nothing less than this type of exposure. We are excited to play Modesto City FC. It’s a home game and it’s our first match of NISA Cup.”
“It’s a cup that allows teams like ours to test the waters in a regional level of competition with the idea of moving up the ladder. It’s a win-win for both the clubs participating and the operating leagues that provide these opportunities for teams like ours,” Sanchez said. When asked how the club will balance its remaining fixtures, “We are excited to compete in this tournament but our main focus is Cascadia Premier League right now. We will prep for Modesto the week prior to kick off. Game is scheduled for Sunday July 2nd at the Wenatchee Valley College field, kick off is set for 6:30pm.”
Learn more about Wenatchee All-Stars FC HERE
Bay Cities FC
Bay Cities FC, a 2022 NISA expansion side based in Redwood City, California, made their introduction to the soccer world, last year, in the 2021 NISA Independent Cup. While they had a good showing with a 1-1 draw against Cal Victory and a 2-2 draw with Space United (Seattle) it was a 5-3 loss away to Portland which ended their rookie cup run. However, they are back for more, and this time around, they are fully loaded and ready to win their region. When asked what differences there are between this year and last, Co-Founder and Club President, Anders Perez told us “I think the main thing is that we are a group that has been together for four months and have faced multiple challenges and teams. We are full of experience in comparison to last year. Lastly, the roster is mainly changed; of the ones who played last year, we only have four who we returned.”
The club from the Bay Area currently sit in 3rd in the West Division of NISA, with 18 points and +3 goal difference. The past few weeks have been a rough patch for them; losing twice to Chattanooga and away to Michigan Stars, but within that they’ve had nice outings as well, picking up wins away to Maryland Bobcats (4-1) and at home against Flower City Union (3-1). Forward Josiah Romero is third in the league race for the Golden Boot, with 6 goals in 11 matches played. They have shown a knack for scoring when they need to and between now and when they host the Regional Final on July 23rd, they will only need to play in the league once, at home against LA Force, on July 9th.
With Plenty of time to prepare, we asked Anders what the tournament meant to the growth of independent soccer in the US. “I think it is super important. I think its the way to showcase the young players ready to take the next step in terms of professional soccer. For organizations, it is a great way to get some hands on experience on game day ops and business development.”
With the possibility of playing any of the three teams in the Regional Final we wanted to know if any of the clubs in particular were of interest. “I think Modesto FC. I only know them from afar, but it seems they have an Hispanic ownership group. That is very important to me, as I am Latino. I hope they have success and I hope I can meet them in person!” We hope that whoever it is gets there in class and delivers a Regional Final to remember.
All photos courtesy of Facebook
- Josh Duder