Early evening on Sunday, Ginga (now Atletico Atlanta) hoisted the UPSL Fall Championship trophy, celebrating a dominant run through a regular season plagued with…well, plague actually. The club marched through the playoffs, remaining undefeated and finished it off in spectacular fashion to win the trophy on penalty kicks. And while that trophy represented a crowning achievement for the Atlanta-based club, it also represented a stellar weekend of great soccer, almost perfect weather, and a league with plans to continue its meteoric growth.

The four clubs in for the weekend semifinals represent the sort of diversity any league would be trumpeting. With Arizona, central Texas, Massachusetts, and Georgia represented, the playing styles and approaches could be expected to differ wildly, but it was so much more than that. Accents that ranged from the Caribbean to the American South, from the Eastern American seaboard to the shores of Africa, from the streets of London to the neighborhoods of São Paulo, sounded across the field Friday evening as the clubs battled. And the variety didn’t end there, with multiple languages being employed to tighten up the backline, call for the ball, or to direct the next cut towards goal. It was all the best aspects of what American soccer can be - a coming together of diverse cultures from across the country to play the sport we all love.

While many have been to Silverback’s Park, I had never visited and it was worth the travel. What a spectacular set up (though every old timer from the NASL era will tell you it was so much better back in their day) for soccer. The grounds at the Park are filled with fields for local matches and are operating from dawn to dusk. There was not a moment this weekend when there wasn’t a match happening, either in the main stadium or in the acres of fields surrounding it. The trees encircle the entire complex, creating a unique, isolated atmosphere, making soccer the primary focus of the moment. The turf in the main stadium had been replaced last year and made for the perfect foundation for the UPSL’s championship weekend. The weather, though chilly on Friday evening, was perfect for Sunday’s Championship Match. And, of course, the quality of the play lived up to the perfectly set stage, with three of the four weekend’s matchups ending in 3-2 scorelines, almost all coming down to the wire.

Between matches I had the opportunity to sit down with the league’s leadership, including the Graham Walsh and Luin Frazier, who bought into the league last year, to discuss their plans for the future. Rather than shy away from mistakes or missteps of the past, they are quick to acknowledge that there is room for improvements and they are working to fill the gaps. The plans range from simple fixes to sweeping national approaches in how the league approaches player and club promotion, social media management, and regional operations. While the league has grown to become the largest amateur league in the United States, Walsh and company are intent on becoming the best. How these plans come together in the near future remains to be seen, but it was clear that the vision is in place.

When the UPSL decided to hold their season in the fall of 2020, I had concerns that the results would be disastrous. To the contrary, the league proved that their approach to COVID was effective and reasonable, even when it meant delaying playoff matches and having teams quarantine. This weekend was the capper this season deserved, with great matches on the perfect stage. Kudos to the UPSL on a job well done and to Atletico Atlanta on their perfect season, of course. I, for one, am looking forward to what’s coming this year.

- Dan Vaughn