A few years ago Gio Troia, then playing for EPSL’s Oaklyn United FC, reached out to us to see if we had time to chat. Social media is a funny place in that sometimes DMs can get buried underneath all the other chatter and when Gio circled back to see how we were doing we apologized for the belated conversation and asked what was up.

He and his fellow New Jersey soccer compatriot, Jonnathan Caceres, had kicked off Bay State Soccer League new kids on the block, Rondo FC, and we were all ears. We asked the following questions, Gio and Jon were kind enough to answer them all.

Tell us the origin story of Rondo FC - when was the club founded? By whom and what was its mission?
Rondo FC was established in 2022 in Middletown, NJ by two locals - Ambrogio Troia and Jonnathan Caceres. We grew up in the soccer system here playing in levels from youth/highschool/club/semi-pro and now men’s amateur level.

After finishing college and having very limited selection of teams to play for in Monmouth County, we had put our minds together to create Rondo FC, a place where unrecognized talent in our community can shine. The club’s vision is to give local footballers a home before/after college & be a catalyst for player development and growth.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to your New Jersey community?
Our crest’s colors (blue and yellow) reign from the historic New Jersey state flag and coincide with the blue oceans and sandy beaches of the New Jersey Shore. The tiger represents the strength and power of our players. The tiger’s lit up eyes represent that we are always awake and hungry for more.

What league does your adult team play in and what helped you choose that league?
Rondo FC participates in the Garden State Soccer League (GSSL) which has been around since 1980. We had chose this league as it gives teams the opportunity to play in grand tournaments such as the US Open Cup, USASA National Cup and the NJ State Cup, giving our players exposure on the big stage.

Many clubs choose to sell hats, scarves or replica kits - how does your club keep the lights on and cover its league costs? How can interested people support you?
Like many clubs we too run our own Official Store where fans can purchase team merchandise and even rep the full kit! A thing that separates us from other clubs in generating money at the amateur level is hosting pickup sessions called “Rondo FC Pickup Football” every Thursday night. We bring the street football of the favelas alive with Brazilian music, 5aside football and good vibes all at a small cost to raise money for the club. People interested in seeing the club grow can assist in sponsorship partnerships, coming to pickup on Thursdays, or grabbing an ultras t-shirt from our store!

What were the goals and aspirations heading into this season? How has it gone for Rondo FC?
Last year, In our inaugural GSSL season we went on a convincing 14 wins, 2 ties, 0 losses unbeaten streak, making us B Division Champions and earning us a promotion to the A Division. We had made it to the second round of the NJ State Cup eventually losing on a penalty shoot out at home. In our GSSL League Cup, we lost in the Semi Finals again due to a penalty shoot out. We had our ultras with us along the way and had so much support from our local fans.

This season we are currently 6 games in with 4 Wins, 1 Tie and 1 Loss. We have the same goal in mind as last year, win the A Division and get promoted again. We look to perform better in our cup appearances and win some more trophies along the way.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
If we were to play a friendly against any team within a 100 mile radius of us we would love to share the pitch with Lansdowne Yonkers, a notable team from Yonkers, NY. We’d love to play against them as they are 5 times National Champions and we are always up for a challenge.

Want to know more or get involved?
Follow Rondo FC on Instagram HERE