Reviewing the Weekend's NISA Independent Cup Action

GEORGIA REVOLUTION FC 2   SODA CITY FC 2

Soda City’s drive to the championship was a clear path: a win against Georgia Revolution and they would be in the final. With the hardest game out of the way, Georgia Revolution looked to take some points in this game and had a different look to its starting lineup. William and John Eskay both got the start on the offensive side, while wonderstriker Todd Fidler was not in the starting lineup for the Revs (much to the disappointment of Dan Creel and yours truly).  

The first fifteen minutes was an even trading of possession, until Soda City’s captain Hunter Haynes went down with an injury and had to be replaced. The Revs controlled possession much of the half after that point, while Soda City was content to absorb the pressure. Youngster Noel Elder would push up from his left back position for the Revs and into the offensive side more – something that would play a factor in the final result (a little foreshadowing here). 

The half ended without a goal being scored, but you just had the feeling that goals were coming. And did they ever.

It was Soda City who dictated the pace early in the second half, pushing the ball forward with the most offensive urgency seen by them so far in the tournament. And the efforts would be rewarded in the 55th minute when Graham Jermstad stole a chested back pass that went astray and was brought down in the box by the Revs’ Jake Mathis for a clear penalty. Jermstad would convert from the spot, and Soda City had a lead.

But the Revs were not done. At the 68th minute, young Elder would take a pass at the left corner of the 18 and push two Soda City players to go after him, taking him down and giving the Revs their own chance from the penalty spot. Forward Ryan King went far right and calmly tied the game up at 1-1.

Image courtesy of Chattanooga FC Social Media.

In the 82bd minute, the sound was lost during the live stream – right before one amazing goals was scored. From about 25 yards out, Soda City took a free kick and whipped it in to the 18 to Graham Jermstad, who took the ball off one bounce off his chest, then with his back to goal booted the ball with his left foot over his left shoulder and just inside the upper right corner of the net. Wow! Surely this would be the goal that would send Soda City to the championship!

But then – oh no…poor Henry Kohel.

The Soda City defender, running back towards his goal on a headed ball from the Revs, mis-kicked and sent the ball even closer to goal. The Revs’ Ryan King caught up with it, and lofted a shot over a helpless Jack Pondy right at the 86th minute. A gut punch of a goal. The score was level once again.

The last six minutes (and extra time) were helter skelter, with minds and hearts willing to make one more push but tired legs giving out. The final whistle sounded, and Georgia Revolution were alive for another week. For Soda City, so close to punching their ticket to the championship, they now have to come home to face Chattanooga FC knowing that they may still need a result.         

CHATTANOOGA FC 3   SAVANNAH CLOVERS 0

The favored CFC looked the part in taking care of Georgia Revolution last week. Would it be more of the same again the Clovers? In a word, yes. 

Chattanooga would follow the script from last week and score early. In the 11th minute, Ryan Marcano, who was a substitute in last week’s game, took a pass in stride to the right of goal, drove hard towards the keeper, then zipped in pass in front to goal to a charging Brain Bement who drilled it first time past the keeper. 

Just a mere five minutes later, Ian McGrath would find himself at the top of the 18 after some nice one-touch passing and sent a low, driving ball past a ‘where did that come from’-looking J.W. May for the second goal. It was not a good look for May and the Clovers team as a whole, as they seemed frozen and caught off guard by the sequence. Sixteen minutes in, and CFC was in change with a 2-0 lead.

Would Savannah respond? Well, the response was to not press and push the offense. Chattanooga had no trouble moving the ball up the field, and the Clovers kept Timo Mesa alone up front and struggled to get any kind of service. The half ended 2-0, and without a sense of urgency from Savannah.  

At the 52nd minute a terrible back pass by Savannah from midfield was intercepted by Kalib Jackson, who drove past the one defender in his path and sent a shot through the legs of the ‘keeper. It was 3-0, and CFC were well on their way to clinching a spot in the region’s championship game.

It would not be until the 75th minute did Savannah bring on another offensive player and attempted to push forward. But the result seemed too little, too late. Things did get a little testy in the final minutes of the game with multiple incidents that would eventually bring out the red card for each team from pushing and shoving. Maybe Savannah could have brought that fire earlier in the game.

And so Chattanooga, to the surprise of no one, has made it to the championship game regardless of its final game against Soda City his coming weekend. For Savannah, now eliminated, they have one last opportunity to showcase its club and a chance to play spoiler against the Georgia Revolution.    

Previewing This Weekend's Independent Cup Matches

Another group joins the fray. The Southeast Region has to share the spotlight this weekend as the Central Plans Region begins play in the NISA Independent Cup.  

Southeast Region

Soda City FC v Georgia Revolution FC - July 18th @ 5PM ET (Finley Stadium, Chattanooga TN)

The first of two games being played at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga is a UPSL/NPSL battle between Soda City (1-0-0) and Georgia Revolution (0-1-0). A combination of solid goaltending and an opportunistic offense was the formula in Soda City’s win over Savannah Clovers. While there’s no doubt about Jack Pondy in goal, Soda City could use more offensive oomph from Graham Jermstad and company up front.

The Revs had their moments against Chattanooga FC but was ultimately outclassed in the 3-1 loss. Against Soda City, a hope for more offense coming from Todd Fidler, Braham Gamarra and the Brothers Eskay. It will be interesting to see if the Revs use the press more often in this game to force turnovers without having to be as concerned with their opponent’s fire power on the counter. A loss would essentially eliminate the Revs, so expect them to push the action in an attempt to dictate the terms. Will Pondy be a source of frustration?     

Savannah Clovers FC v Chattanooga FC - July 18th @ 8PM ET (Finley Stadium, Chattanooga TN)

A first game loss and staring elimination in face against the best team in the group. – not the way the Savannah Clovers (0-1-0) had hoped things would go. But here they are, and a big effort is what is going to be needed. We saw some flashes of elusiveness with Timo Mesa, and he is going to have to bring his A+++ game and give CFC’s back line fits. Georgia Revolution showed that you can press Chattanooga effectively at times. Will the Clovers be confident to send numbers forward? 

For CFC, we got a taste of what Zeca, Ian McGrath and Brian Bement can do together in the first game. How will they look after another week of training? The arrow is pointing up. One thing to look for is whether newbie goalie Alec Redington can deliver another solid performance. Could a soft goal throw off his game? Will Savannah be able to even get a chance to score a soft goal? 

Central Plains Region

Editors Note: The league notified us that this match has been moved to next weekend, due to local protocols.

Louisiana Krewe FC v Gaffa FC (St. Julien Park, Broussard LA)

The first of a home-and-still home between Louisiana Krewe and Gaffa FC being played in Louisiana. Easy on the traveling for the Krewe, no doubt. Although both clubs are from the Gulf Coast Premier League, they did not face each other last season due to playing in different conferences.  

Gaffa FC from Jackson, Mississippi, have not played a competitive match since last July due to the cancellation of the 2020 GCPL season. Winners of the GCPL in their first season (2017), Gaffa just missed out on the GCPL playoffs in 2019. This is a club that has a mix of veteran players from around the world who are coaches themselves as well as young players from the local area. The team is led by their Manchester-born center back Tom Cosgrave who will be on the roster for this tournament. 

Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Louisiana Krewe have only played one season in the GCPL but enjoyed moderate success and made some noise by qualifying for the 2020 Open Cup. And yes, the club has had a certain soccer website on the front of its kits. Like Gaffa FC, Krewe have constructed a roster that has many international players but also give an opportunity for local players. Will Krewe continue its successful run of play?     

- John Howard-Fusco

NISA Independent Cup Recap – Opening Weekend

CHATTANOOGA FC 3   GEORGIA REVOLUTION FC 1

Game night had finally arrived at Finley Stadium in 2020, albeit under most unusual of circumstances. The home side Chattanooga FC would not have the usual big crowd on hand, but being able to play a competitive match again would be enough motivation. And it would not be a NISA match but a NISA Independent Cup match against an old NPSL rival Georgia Revolution FC.

The Revs started a defensive-minded lineup with Ryan King as the lone striker. The talk of the lineup was between midfielder Braham Gamarra (the man to watch from the commentators), head coach Scott Redding calling his own number into the Starting XI, and defender Noel Elder – and at age 16 was hardly an ‘elder’ statesman on the field.  

CFC came out with a lineup that was quite different from the last time we saw the team play a competitive match. Only three of the Starting XI started against the Oakland Roots in the opening game of the curtailed NISA spring season. One of the new players was not new at all for fans of CFC: Jose “Zeca” Ferraz, who has been part of the club going back to 2013. The insertion of Zeca gave Chattanooga a more potent offensive look. 

Image courtesy of CFC social media.

And it didn’t take long for CFC to get on the scoresheet as Zeca fed a streaking Richard Dixon down the right side who sent a ball into the box that Ian McGrath got a foot to before the defender and slipped it in near post for 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. Zeca and McGrath would help create multiple chances over the next few minutes, and you started to get the feeling that this was going to be an easy night for the home side. 

But the Revs weren’t ready to go down just yet. Quickly down the field after a CFC missed chance, Georgia midfielder Todd Fidler would find himself with the ball just outside the 18 and would uncork a rocket that found the upper corner and even the score. POW! Game on! And for the next ten minutes, the Revs would find some success in picking spots to press CFC, creating some turnovers. But Chattanooga didn’t panic, with defender Alec McKinley keeping things tidy in the back.  

The game settled back down for Chattanooga, and Zeca would once again make his mark, delivering a well-weighted pass to a streaking Brian Bement to the right of goal. Bement’s long putt of a shot tucked in just inside the far post, and CFC were back in front. Bement, who had been on the quiet side of things for much of the first half before that goal would have more to say in the second half.   

And so on to that second half – or, at least those of us watching on mycujoo tried to go on to that second half. But to no avail. The streaming service froze up and could not get back to live action until almost twenty minutes had elapsed. So while those of us on muycujoo fumed, the trio of McGrath, Zeca and Bement would put the game on ice. A long ball from middle of the field from McGrath would be headed down by Zeca and onto the path of Bement, and he clinically slotted it home.

The last fifteen minutes of the match saw play open up, and while the Eskay brothers came on and injected some life into the Revolution’s offense, the team could not sustain enough pressure to really mount a stiff enough challenge.

With the win, Chattanooga put themselves in a great position to be in the championship game. Along with the trio of offensive players, honorable mentions should be made for midfielder Juan Hernandez for his work in transitioning CFC from defense to offense as well as for goalkeeper Alec Redington in his first professional start.   

For the Revolution, Todd Fidler made his presence felt with his goal and his lack of fear in taking shots from all over the place. I don’t think there’s a spot of the pitch where Fidler doesn’t think he can get it on frame.  

One more word about mycujoo: simply put, this kind of problem must stop happening, or NISA needs to pick a new platform for streaming. But while the freeze up by mycujoo was frustrating, that in no way took away from the overall production of the game. The play-by-play provided by John Freeman and Dale Schilly was solid and professional. Their commentary was an enhancement to the match. 

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SAVANNAH CLOVERS 1   SODA CITY FC 2

OK – since I could only watch one game live, I chose to go with the CFC v Revs game. This game I decided to watch the replay. And evidently the first ten minutes there was a problem with the feed, so we pick up the action already in progress…

Soda City and Savannah Clovers are division rivals in the UPSL, so they know each other all too well. And it didn’t take long for play to get a little chippy, with Savannah getting a yellow card within the first twenty minutes of the game. It would not be the only yellow card in the first half.

It would be Soda City striking first, as a long free kick would bounce through a maze of players and find an unmarked Dominik Byars for an easy header in the 19th minute. 

But the lead would be short-lived ad the Clovers would push the action the other way. Forward Timo Mesa looked particularly dangerous, giving Soda City defenders fits. ‘Keeper Jack Pondywas called upon to make a great reaction save on a point blank shot. But on the ensuing corner kick, Pondy could only deflect the ball away, and Henry Banegas would side volley a shot past the Soda City goalkeeper.

Image courtesy of Savannah Clovers social media.

The second half would see both teams take turns in pushing the action to create chances. But the difference would come down to the play of the goalkeepers. Jack Pondy stood tall – literally – as he handled every dangerous opportunity that came his way. At the other end, J.W. May didn’t make himself big enough when Soda City’s Troy Paul (a second-half substitute) took a lovely weighted pass and found himself behind the Clovers’ defense. May came out to challenge, but Paul got there first and floated one over the prone keeper and into the goal at the 84th minute.   

Savannah was a little unfortunate to not get points out of this one. They seem like a club with a lot of good pieces that when they put it together will be formidable. For Soda City, the game spoke volumes about the needs for a good goalkeeper. I’m not sure if Jack Pondy was the best player of the field, but the was by far the most poised.  

Oh, and a word about the commentary. While not at the same level of professionalism as the Chattanooga crew, these guys were enjoying themselves and were knowledgeable about both teams. And I could swear that one of the guys (Don) was doing his best Josh Duder impersonation. Oh – and it’s OK to say “NEEsa” – you don’t have to spell it out.

- John Howard-Fusco

Forecasting the Independent Cup

Here comes the independent tournament for independent clubs and the independent people who think and act independently. NISA’s inaugural Independent Cup gets going this weekend, and we’re here to give you a preview of the games that will be taking place.

For the opening weekend, the Southeast Region has things all to their own. The two games being played on Saturday will be taking place at the same time (Methinks that maybe this could have been avoided since, y’know, your entire audience will be people streaming the games. But what do I know, and this digression is going on and on, so…).   

Soda City FC v Savannah Clovers FC - July 11th @ 8PM ET (Memorial Stadium, Savannah GA)

So why is Columbia, South Carolina “Soda City”? Locals can fact-check me, but the story seems to go that Columbia was referred to as Cola for short, and because of this it earned the city the nickname. 

While you ponder that, let us look at Cola’s own Soda City FC. Since joining the UPSL in the fall of 2018, the team has been quite impressive: 22 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses in its first three seasons, winning its conference the last two seasons. Soda City’s success on the field reached another level this past fall, when the club made it all the way to the National Semi-final against Maryland Bobcats - taking a 2-0 lead before losing 3-2. The club has stayed focused on local players, and one to watch is goalkeeper Jack Pondy (a First Team Best XI in the fall season). 

One of Soda City’s conference rivals in the UPSL is Savannah Clovers who joined the league in Spring 2018. The two sides have met in the playoffs, with Savannah having beaten Soda City 3-0 in the fall 2018 playoff encounter. Savannah has been playing some friendlies in preparation for the tournament, including a 6-2 beatdown delivered to Charleston United last weekend (Does a 6-2 beatdown completely cancel out the term ‘friendly’? Asking for a friend). Forward Timo Mesa scored five of the six goals, so it says here that he will be a man to keep an eye on for Savannah.       

Georgia Revolution FC v Chattanooga FC - July 11th @ 8PM ET (Finley Stadium, Chattanooga TN)

To the surprise of no one, Chattanooga looks to be clear favorite in this region. But as we know, nothing is won on paper (except maybe tic tac toe). CFC looked like a team that belonged in its first NISA match – a spirited 1-1 draw on the road against Oakland Roots in a game that will forever be known as The Tie That Became a T-Shirt. So how will Ian McGrath and the boys come back after the layoff? Motivated is my guess. And as an added bonus for the local fans, this game will be televised in Chattanooga. The rest of us poor slobs will have to mycujoo it.  

Oh by the way, there will be another team on the field. Georgia Revolution FC from he NPSL and the Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (ADASL for those in the know) started up only a couple of years after Chattanooga FC and were rivals in the NPSL right up through 2019. Like the Savannah Clovers, Georgia Revolution were prepping for the tournament by having played a recent friendly. The roster for the Revs features players who play locally but have come from all over the world. The tournament could be a showcase event for some of these players, as well as with players from all the amateur clubs, to move up in their soccer journey.   

- John Howard-Fusco

The NISA Season that Wasn't

 Note: This is for funzies, so take it with a grain of salt and a large alcoholic beverage. Or chocolate if you’re living a sober lifestyle.

 NISA’s 2020 Spring Season has been shut down, another sports league brought to a grinding halt by COVID-19. We’ll never know how it would have played out. Frustrating, I know. And in frustration, perhaps you shout out something like…

 “Isn’t there anyone who can tell me who would have taken the NISA trophy this spring?”

“Sure – I can tell you who would have taken the NISA trophy this spring.”

Lights, please.

And yes, those are clouds. We are heading into a dream sequence, so keep your arms inside the vehicle until the ride comes to a complete stop.

Going by the alphabet, let’s start with Cal United Strikers. With plenty of firepower, aggressive midfield play, and a solid, competent backline, Cal United would find a way to struggle every week. Enough results would go their way, yet at times they could frustrate the heck out of you. During one of these performances against LA Force, the usually happy and joyful play-by-play voice of the Strikers Simon Allen loses it in midstream, runs onto the field and starts yelling maniacally at the Cal United forwards, “Surely he’s going to shoot now! SURELY HE’S GOING TO SHOOT NOW!” The ref finally stopped play and surely showed Allen a red card. 

Chattanooga FC enjoyed a very sold first season as a professional club. Staying in the top half of the table for most of the spring season, playing in front of crowds that most lower league teams would be jealous of, CFC would punch a ticket to a playoff spot with a home win over 1904 FC. Good times, right? So why were the locals annoyed? In a word: Nashville hot chicken. OK, three words. If the members of the Chattanooga faithful got a nickel for every time visiting fanbases asked where to get the best hot chicken, they would hate the Red Wolves just as much (hah – didn’t see that coming, did ya?),  

Just fill in any gaps with imaginary friends. (Image courtesy of Youtube)

So yeah - Detroit City FC won lots of games, ran away from the rest of the league, blah de blahblahblah.  The more interesting aspect of the Spring Season was in the stands at Keyworth. Limited by a seating capacity of just under 8,000, the Northern Guard schemed up a way to increase this number: imaginary friends. First it was Invite an Imaginary Friend Night. Then those imaginary friends brought their friends. And so on. And so on. When the announced attendance was 27,394 for the Cal United Strikers game, things had gotten pretty weird – even by Northern Guard standards. So the decision was made to ban imaginary friends for the rest of the season. A few invisible tears were shed.   

So the LA Force crowds were practicing social distancing long before COVID-19, evidently. I know – low-hanging fruit. But the club would struggle for points and fans in stands during the spring season. And that’s a shame, because this is how many fans of lower league soccer want to see clubs built – from the ground up. This is an academy club that added a pro team at the top. The hope here is that the club can develop a following of a corps of passionate fans that can spread the word. Hey – they’re not all going to be funny.   

The Michigan Stars would continue to be a collective pain in the butt to play against, challenging offenses with their ability to take away each team’s best players. When Cal United came to Pontiac, the Stars put three men on Christian Thierjung right from the first moment. No, not the start of the game – as soon as he got off the bus. And in the parking lot. And into the locker room. Thierjung never actually got onto the pitch, and the Stars went with the rarely-used 7-1-0 lineup. But Cal United could only manage a nil-nil draw, as Gustavo Villalobos was swallowed up by Zanin Mahic’s hair.   

Only the first of many moments that ended up on tshirts.

Laney College Stadium would finally become that fortress for the Oakland Roots, and the club would make any opponent’s trip to Oakland a tough one. The road would cause some issues, but the club would keep themselves in the top half of the table throughout the spring. And the quick release of T-shirts to capture celebrated moments (like the Jack McInerney game-tying goal on opening night) would continue. A Matt Fondy wonderstrike against Detroit City – on a T-shirt. Taylor Bailey saves to PK against Cal United – on a T-shirt. Ariel Mbumba being subbed on in the 67th minute against LA Force – on a T-shirt. David Abdor taking a point blank shot to his junk – considered, but ultimately not on a T-shirt.

 The move from San Diego State’s stadium to Lincoln High School did not have the effect that 1904 FC – sorry, Ought Four – wanted as far as crowd support. As the season went on, the club would try different venues to get that intimate feel. Local parks. Parking lots. Mini golf courses. Against the Michigan Stars, they tried playing in a bowling alley. Didn’t manage much on the scoreboard (Tito Ramirez was bottled up at the snack bar by the Stars defense), but midfielder Christian Enriquez did bowl an impressive 187. Through it all, the Black Plague kept the faith - except when Enriquez missed an easy spare in the 9th frame. That almost broke them. 

In Stumptown, chasing a playoff spot would be a constant throughout the season. It would ultimately be not in the cards for the club, but they would be there right to the end. A home-and-home series with Detroit City to end the season would be Stumptown’s undoing. But here was one other storyline that hung over the season: the progress of the building behind one of the goals at OrthoCarolina Soccer Complex. When the Michigan Stars arrived, the siding had been completed. By the time of the Cal United game, some landscaping had been placed. Things looked good. Then came the Detroit City game, and an errant shot from George Chomakov sailed over the fence, crashed through an upper-story window, and blasted a hole through the roof. Deemed unfit to occupy, the building was razed – with new construction to start at the beginning of the fall season.

When the season ended in June, the table stood thusly:

Team                            Pts

Detroit City FC              987

Cal United Strikers         34

Chattanooga FC             31

Oakland Roots SC          29

Stumptown Athletic        24

San Diego 1904 FC         18

Los Angeles Force          16

Michigan Stars FC            9

(My math is impeccable, by the way).

 Since Cal United had already qualified for the playoffs due to the Fall Showcase, they somehow ended up having to face off against themselves in the semi-finals – much to the chagrin of the Oakland Roots! And that chagrin found its way onto a T-shirt. Playing itself to a nil-nil draw, Cal United managed to get past themselves on penalties.

In the other semi-final, it was Detroit City and Chattanooga FC hooking up for tense battle between old NPSL rivals. Evenly played throughout the first half, things got unraveled in the second half when the Northern Guard started chanting “Where’s your hot chicken?” which seemed to unnerve CFC. The floodgates opened, and DCFC was going to the finals!

Now it was down to Detroit City and Cal United. And in the final, the Strikers would pass and move with a veracity and determination that was impressive and almost led to a goal. But the final whistle would come, and both teams were without a goal. Extra time would be needed. For the Northern Guard, this meant extra extra smoke. A billowy blast would emanate from the stands, and slowly cover the entire field. Nobody could see a damned thing. Industrial fans would quickly be brought in to blow the smoke off the field. And when order was restored – the NISA trophy had disappeared!

Who’s laughing now? (image courtesy of Forbes.com)

Suddenly, the sound of wheels peeling out could be heard as a black limousine sped away. And leaning out the back window, Rocco Commisso held out the trophy, laughing.

So who took the NISA trophy? The New York Cosmos, of course.  

- John Howard-Fusco

If you enjoyed John’s approach to NISA in this article, you should check out his NISA podcast, the Knights Who Say NISA - available on the Protagonist Podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get podcasts.

Dan Watches NISA: Week One

Each week, I’ll be writing a recap of the NISA matches, give my thoughts on the matches and give a short power ranking of the clubs at the end. All matches were watched on Mycujoo, because I don’t live within 500 miles of any NISA clubs. Matches will be in random order.

What a week 1! Great rollout for the league with solid attendance in two of four matches and close to 15,000 views of the matches through their online platform partner, Mycujoo. For the most part the broadcasts looked and sounded professional, offering a great connecting point for potential fans of the league. The matches were exciting and delivered goals, cards, and some late minute heroics. I, for one, enjoyed every second of this week’s matches, so let’s get into them.

Oakland 1 - Chattanooga 1

• Several production points and a general point about the pitch. First, Roots (as I guess I should have expected) had the best production of the week. The broadcast also featured the only REAL advertising I spotted this weekend. Even the opening lineups were sponsored. In the end, to survive you have to make money, Roots appear to be in the groove on that part. Laney looked good in the broadcast, with a large crowd, over 5k. But the FIELD. Ugliest field in the history of soccer. Just looked like trash. Gotta find a way to get onto a better rug.

• The match itself was a banger. Hella enjoyable. Both sides looked aggressive and hungry, so early in the season, with all the issues Chatta faced in the preseason, that’s exceptional.

• The goal for Chatta, how was McGrath THAT open? Defenders fell asleep on that one.

• The red card to Hines was the softest red I’ve seen. Yes, he tried to pull the ball from McGrath, but that happens 10 times a match. Defender was stalling to let his defense get into shape and the attacking player was trying to get the ball rolling. And that’s when the ref reaches into his back pocket, so the resulting bump between the players wan’t the trigger, it was the original struggle for the ball. I don’t get it. Shaped the entire rest of the match. Sucks.

• Jack McInerney is a bad man. Dangerous the entire match, multiple scoring chances. He will be a handful all season and I bet his kit will be a hot item for Oakland. The equalizer was a thing of beauty and was the best moment of Week one. If you haven’t seen it, skip to 5:40 and you’re welcome.

Stumptown Athletic 2 - San Diego 1904 2

• Didn’t expect this match to be as good as it was, but Stumptown looked better than I expected, especially considering their disappointing Fall campaign.

• On the production side, went with a solo announcer and dude seemed a little lonely. He was fine, but could have used someone to bounce conversation off. The camera angle was poorly chosen, with an empty field beyond the sideline, fans are part of the match, SHOW them - though it sounded pretty poorly attended on the feed.

• Stumptown kits look good. I like that pattern/gradient combo look. Solid. And SD1904 has maybe the blandest uniforms in NISA. White. Neat. Ok.

• Tate Robertson’s goal, what a banger. That was easily 30 yards out. Crushed it. 

• That first goal for San Diego was ugly. Just a ball in the scrum happening to fall into the net.

LA Force 0 - Detroit City FC 2

• Definitely the match everyone wanted to see on Mycujoo, drawing close to 6,000 views. Easily dwarfing the number of people there to see the match. LA needs to get things together and connect with their market. They are SLOW on social media and the shots posted on twitter of their stands showed a basically empty stadium. Some claimed it was close to a thousand and to those people I say, you’re nuts. I’d guess 400 max. And that included the guys from Michigan Stars who played the next day. If you can’t draw a crowd to see Detroit City come to town, I don’t understand.

• This match was a tale of two halves, with Detroit dominating possession in the first half and LA becoming the aggressor in the second half. The difference, DCFC converted their chances. The first goal resulted from a set piece, when a deflected ball was passed to Matt Lewis, who buried the shot.

• Both clubs pressed this entire match. It was FUN to watch.

• Roddy Green’s goal, which made little difference in the result, was beautiful. The result of Detroit’s press, he could have passed once in the box, but finished confidently. Dude signed his pro contract 5 days earlier. Ice cold.

• One player that caught my eye for Detroit was Tendai Jirira who is listed as a defender on the roster. He is silky smooth on the ball. He has a touch that won’t quit. I was very impressed with his play the entire match.

• Detroit is going to be very good this season.

California United 1 - 0 Michigan Stars

• So the announcer has European charm and gravitas, that’s fine. But did he have to constantly refer to the Michigan Stars as “the red men” the ENTIRE match. The red men sounds vaguely racist, though that wasn’t his intent. If anything, it just sounded dumb. What also sounds dumb is the other announcer calling NISA “N-I-S-A” the entire match. Everyone calls it NISA (nee-suh), get with it, dude.

• Crowd at the match looked legit, filled most of the stands, but would have loved to see a little more “soccer” things - flags, smoke, drums. Maybe there are bans at the stadium?

• Michigan Stars play HARD ASS defense. Aggressive tackles, studs up, teeth clattering challenges, two early yellow cards didn’t stop them from beating up Cal United the rest of the match. The stacked their lines most of the match, bunker style, 9 players against their own box, with a single roving attacking player trying to pick off a pass. I suspect they will end the season with the most cards AND give up the fewest goals.

• The goal for Cal United was interesting because the shot from Michael Bryant was from so far out. Far enough out that, if he was off target he would have been WAAAAYYYY off target. Instead he smashed it and the keeper couldn’t cleanly handle it, spilling the ball into the path of Kevin Jeon, who finished it off.

• Two Cal United players caught my eye. First, Gustavo Viallobos’ footwork and ball handling were a thing of beauty the entire match. The other was 15 year old Shane Kaemerie, who came on as a sub. He’s a product of Cal United’s academy and an exciting prospect for the club. You love to see the next generation.

Dan’s NISA Week 1 Power Rankings

1. Detroit City FC

2. Cal United

3. Stumptown Athletic

4. Chattanooga FC

5. SD 1904

6. Oakland Roots

7. Michigan Stars

8. LA Force

Editor’s Note: There was a point about who owns the rights to DCFC’s Matt Lewis. This was deleted when a twitter user corrected us.

Ranking the NISA Home Openers

For those that missed it, NISA put out a list of the home openers for the Spring 2020 season. With the first match kicking off on the weekend of February 29, we’re sitting 6 weeks out from the kick-off of the expanded season of NISA play with the addition of Chattanooga, Detroit City, and Michigan Stars. The full schedule won’t be released until later this month, so for now, let’s rank the home openers.

- Dan

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★

Stumptown Athletic vs. 1904 FC (2/29/20)

Stumptown Athletic was the runner up in the East to Miami FC, but with Philly Fury forfeiting the season and Atlanta SC’s 2 wins coming in matches that Philly vacated, they have a tremendous amount to prove heading into this season. The addition of heavy hitters in the East will mean that task will be even harder. 1904 only managed two wins in the stronger West and will be desperate to start off their season with a win. This will be a match most will skip out on and, with Stumptown’s attendance issues last season, the stands will reflect that.

★★

Cal United Strikers FC vs. Michigan Stars FC (2/29/20)

This isn’t going to come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the NPSL, Michigan Stars was the little brother in a conference dominated by big name clubs, including their fellow NISA expansion, DCFC. Stars have a lot to prove in their league and will have to kick off their season on the road, heading to Orange County to face Cal United Strikers. Strikers finished the last regular season in second position in the standings. They followed that up by beating LA in the playoffs on PKs. Kicking off their season against an unproven NISA expansion side should be a recipe for a quick 3 points.

Chattanooga FC vs. Michigan Stars FC (3/14/20)

CFC is one of two big names to cross over into NISA during the offseason. With their ability to fill Finley, it’s reasonable to expect a crazy crowd for this first professional match for Chatta. The club should make quick work of their fellow ex-Members Cup opponent. Speaking of Members Cup, Michigan finished with only 2 wins and a negative 8 goal differential. Not good, man.

★★★

Michigan Stars FC vs. Los Angeles Force (3/21/20)

So I’ve dunked on Michigan Stars in two previous previews, so let’s give this home opener a 3 star rating. I’d expect the club to be on a losing streak and this will be a chance to bounce back, facing a club that had to travel over 2,000 miles. Is anyone else a little troubled the match is scheduled at a location TBD? Seems a little late in the game for details like that to not be settled. Anyway, back to the match, so good chance for a bounce back for the hosts, EXCEPT their opponent was the regular season champ in the West and lost on PKs in the playoffs. LA Force will have faced DCFC at home for their opener (more on that later) and we don’t know the rest of the schedule yet, but without a doubt this appears on paper to be a big win opportunity for LA.

★★★★

Detroit City FC vs. Oakland Roots (3/21/20)

Detroit City FC heads into NISA with a ton of steam after soundly defeating the rest of the Members Cup participants in the Fall. Detroit really matched their support and swagger with solid play on the field and look to be the favorites of this first season in NISA. Their first NISA opponent at Keyworth will be Oakland Roots, a club that nailed every aspect of their rollout in 2019, except for their on-field play. With a new coach and a renewed roster, Oakland will be looking to match their looks with substance in 2020.

Oakland Roots vs. Chattanooga FC (2/29/20)

Everything I said about Oakland in the previous preview, but now they get to host the other big boy expansion club, Chattanooga FC. It’s a long trip from Chattanooga, so maybe that helps Oakland? Especially considering Oakland draws well, something that CFC rarely has rarely seen outside of Detroit. I think this match is sneaky good and should show us where Oakland is headed into 2020.

★★★★★

Los Angeles Force vs. Detroit City FC (2/29/20)

Yet another match to be played at TBD, but WHAT a match. The 2019 regular season winner from the West hosts the bad boys of Detroit on the first week of the 2020 season. This should bring all the eyes on opening weekend. Circle this match.

Club of the Year Nominee: Chattanooga Football Club

As a staff, we sat down and discussed which clubs deserved the title “Club of the Year.” Working together over the last three weeks we came up with a list of five. This week, I’ll introduce each club and make the argument for your vote. Saturday morning, voting begins and will continue till the end of the year. January 1, we’ll announce our Protagonist Soccer 2019 Club of the Year. I hope you enjoy these articles and then vote for your club of choice. - Dan

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I will not lie. When I sat down to write this nomination, I had a different club on the list. The staff had worked together to build a list of diverse clubs who all deserved recognition based on the year they had put together. We winnowed the list down to five amazing teams and I sat down to write the nomination article for each one. And as I began to write this particular article, I realized that I would be making a mistake to include the original club but skip over the other. Of course, that other club had every reason to be considered for this award, but, in the end, I could not, in good conscience ignore Chattanooga FC.

Clubs considered for this award were measured in multiple areas. Success on the field was an important factor, but it was certainly only one category that went into the decision. For Chattanooga’s part, the club performed well on the field this year. Before the NPSL regular season kicked off for CFC, the club scheduled a series of big-name international clubs in friendlies. Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala), Real Betis (Spain), and CSD Municipal (Guatemala) all travelled to Chattanooga to take on the homeside. And though the matches ended 0-2, 3-4, and 1-1 respectively, they helped elevate the club and American lower league football across the world. A series of domestic friendlies that included Detroit City (NPSL), AFC Mobile (GCPL), and Bugeaters FC (Independent) resulted in three wins for CFC.

Playing in the NPSL’s Southeast Conference, CFC ended the regular season with a 7-2-1 record, winning the conference easily. . In the regular season, the team only surrendered 11 goals, while scoring 29, for a goal differential for a conference best +18. Both Phil D’Amico and Oliva were chosen for Southwest Conference All-Conference XI, while midfielder Juan Hernandez was chosen for NPSL National XI. In the playoffs, CFC were eliminated in the Regional Semifinals by eventual NPSL champion, Miami FC

After six friendlies, the NPSL regular season, and the playoff match against Miami FC, it wasn’t a massive surprise to see the club struggle in the NPSL Member’s Cup competition. CFC finished third out of six clubs, losing 4 out of 4 matches against DCFC and NY Cosmos. Jim Hicks, one of the cohosts of the 423 Soccer Pod (he goes by @Chattagooner on Twitter), described the experience of the club playing in the Members Cup. “The addition of fall soccer was really cool. However, we had some of the worst weather that we have had for CFC matches. It put a damper on attendance and made it a little harder to really gauge interest. The results were a mixed bag as well. The team played well but just struggled to translate quality performances into positive outcomes.”

If we were only considering the success on the field, maybe Chattanooga would fall short of the other nominations for Protagonist Club of the Year. But what the club did off the field may have been even more important. 2018 had seen a USL League One side move into town and there were concerns on what might happen with the more established and entrenched CFC in the face of a new challenger. CFC went pro and public. Early 2019 saw Chattanooga preparing for the upcoming (at that time, anyway) NPSL Pro and, in preparing for that move, chose to sell shares in the club to raise funding. Club co-cofounder, Sheldon Grizzle, introduced the sale with this statement - “By selling equity shares, we’re expanding our commitment to Chattanooga and our fans, so that when Chattanooga Football Club wins, we all win.” The sale sparked massive interest in the club and was covered throughout the media. The club eventually raised almost $900,000 with over 3,000 shareholders/owners buying into the club from every state in the country and 25 different countries internationally. For Hicks, purchasing shares was just the next step of his ongoing relationship with the club. “It wasn’t a difficult decision for us to want to provide some additional support. The club had become a huge part of my family’s lives. Both of our boys played in the academy and most of our friend group has become centered around the soccer community of Chattanooga.”

With the rise of multiple issues stalling NPSL Pro, the club decided to move to the emerging NISA professional league, along with fellow Members Cup competitors, Michigan Stars, DCFC, New York Cosmos, and Stumptown Athletic. The only other realistic professional league would have been the USL, but several roadblocks made NISA the best move for the club. According to Jim Hicks, “First, someone already owns the territorial rights for this market and I don’t see the owners of that franchise ever allowing CFC to share those rights. Second, even if there were some agreement to share the rights, there are large philosophical differences between the leadership of CFC and USL. So, it was NISA or nothing as far as professional soccer and CFC.” On December 11th, NISA announced Chattanooga FC was officially a member of the new league.

And all of that progress as a club hasn’t gone unrecognized by the supporter group that has grown side by side with the club, The Chattahooligans. Galen Riley, one of the leaders of the group, spoke about what the year was like for him and his fellow supporters. “The year began with a historic public ownership campaign. We made a lifetime of memories during the preseason, earned a conference championship, and enjoyed soccer in the fall. CFC Academy is doing great, the CFC Foundation programs are doing critical work in our city, and The Chattahooligans’ projects like Prideraiser and Hooligan Hymnal are being embraced around the country.” What CFC has done this year has spurred the SG that supports it into doing even more in the community. As Riley put it, “The year ended just like it started, with our city embracing our club, and we are so excited for what comes next.”

Success in the NPSL. Success in bringing headline-worthy clubs for friendlies. Success in expanding their brand through the public sale of shares. Success in going professional. Success in joining an upcoming professional league. Success in inspiring their supporters to become even more involved. 2019 was marked with unparalleled success for CFC. All of these reasons make Chattanooga Football Club an excellent choice for your consideration. Chattanooga FC deserves to be named Protagonist Club of the Year.

- Dan Vaughn

The Man with the Bullhorn: Galen Riley

I recently got the chance to talk to Galen Riley of the Chattahooligans. Riley is involved with both the Chattahooligans and PrideRaiser and has done a lot of good with both organizations. This past season, the NPSL named Riley Supporter of the Year, and rightfully so. He’s also a great follow on Twitter if you aren’t following him yet. Check out the interview I was able to do with Riley below.

- Aarik Long

What has it been like being involved with the Chattahooligans over the years?

Being involved with The Club that Chattanooga Built has been life-changing, for sure. Chattanooga FC in 2009 was my first ever live soccer experience, and serving the club since then has consumed most of my time/money/energy/sanity for the past several years. It's part rewarding, part exhausting, for sure.

It's really cool to be a component of CFC's growth. The club has become a tentpole experience in Chattanooga. Attending a CFC match is THE thing to do on Saturday night during the summer. Locals whip ourselves into a frenzy as each match day, or new season, approaches.

Not only that, but the club and the community around it have become a force in American soccer itself. Fans of the game make pilgrimages to "Fort" Finley Stadium and other budding clubs look to CFC as a both a model to emulate, and also a direct source of advice and support. The Chattahooligans have also become influential in the soccer conversation, ourselves.

Overall, supporting CFC has given me some incredible memories, lifelong friendships, and projects that I'm deeply proud of. I know countless others feel the same way. And I'm never, ever bored.

The Chattahooligans is one of the fierect SGs in grassroots soccer. Image courtesy of Chattahooligans social media.

What was your reaction to winning Supporter of the Year this season?

Mixed feelings on that. I think the NPSL, and all leagues, could be doing a better, more regular, job of highlighting the creative and community service work being done by supporters than an end-of-season internet popularity contest. I'm against the award in principle, and we submitted a drum (not a drummer, a drum) in protest this year and didn't campaign.

At the end of the day, though, I accepted the award on behalf of The Chattahooligans and the entire CFC supporter community. It's been a grueling year, and we worked harder than anybody else, as a collective. Plus, there's a perk for the winner from Global Scarves. We'll use that to pay for some of our charity obligations, which is only a good thing.

What have been your feelings about the Members Cup this fall?

I'm a revolutionary at heart, so it's a bit disappointing to see the NPSL Pro project collapse and Founders Cup change. More match days is great for everybody, though, so I'm happy to see those opportunities. Now if only we could get some dang wins!

What inspired you to start Prideraiser?

I don't recall the specifics on the inspiration, but I was Angry Online(tm) about something. (As usual, really.)

I wanted to make a statement about inclusion and allyship, but speaking up alone felt inadequate, thus spending actual dollars in addition to running my mouth.

For readers who may be unaware, Prideraiser is an international, supporter-driven initiative that marries fundraising for charities that benefit LGBTQ+ individuals, outreach to those communities, and promotion of soccer clubs. The gimmick is that fans make a pledge at the start of June, Pride Month, and and then make a donation that is scaled by the team's goal count during matches in that window. You can see all about the project at http://Prideraiser.org

Image courtesy of Pridraiser social media and Phil Thach Photography.

What has been your reaction to how many clubs and individuals have participated in Prideraiser?

I never could have dreamed to see Prideraiser grow into what it has. I hoped to raise three hundred bucks, and now we're three years into the initiative that's spread across the country, and into Canada, with more than $188 Thousand pledged? That is literally unbelievable.

Take some time to read the mission statements of our LGBTQ+ beneficiary charities. They are universally about improving and saving lives. These organizations would not exist if there were not life-threatening pressures that they are combating. The only conclusion to draw is that, by now, one of our pledges, and one of the goals scored, has directly gone to preserving a beautiful human life that might not be with us otherwise. That's powerful. (Plus, we're turning a whole lot of people into brand new soccer fans.)

The biggest irony of Prideraiser is that I fit into almost every category of privilege one can be: I'm straight, white, cis-male, and so on. So what's probably the most meaningful work of my life is also something I will never actually understand.

There's an element of your question that is remarkable. All of the local campaign organizers are invited to a Slack channel for communication and collaboration. One of the more interesting observations there is the constant exchange of ideas about topics outside of Prideraiser. It's a collection of the best and brightest that soccer supporter culture has to offer, and the conversation in Prideraiser Slack is making us all better. I'd love to figure out how to focus that group to solve some larger challenges, because the potential is there for it.

What do you enjoy doing outside of soccer?

There's nothing better than living it up in our beloved Scenic City of Chattanooga, Tennessee with my partner Becca and her awesome dog.

Soccer isn't my strangest hobby, though. I also build costumes (just got home from an event called DragonCon) and am an occasional burlesque performer.

What is Hooligan Hymnal? How did it start? Is it open to other supporters groups?

Hooligan Hymnal is a budding software platform and mobile app for supporters groups, though the direction is still a little bit fuzzy. Right now, an overview of the project can be found at http://chattahooligan.com/app/

The origin of the project was the necessity to invent a better mousetrap. The Chattahooligans pride ourselves on an ambitious, ever-changing song list. It's core to the identity of our community, but maintaining that ambition has been challenging as we've grown. If you're four beers in at a tailgate, you may not be inspired to thumb a made-up word (who named us "Chattahooligans," anyway?) into your phone and then search for the most recent song lyrics.

The first release had the latest and greatest songs and chants, and the handy ability for us to update the app's home screen with a particular song as a reference during pregame "choir practice." Since then, it has expanded to include a team roster that's more accurate than the club website, links to our charity projects, and whatever else we can think of. We also send out news using push notifications, which is increasingly beneficial as Facebook algorithms become ever more worthless. I have a feature roadmap that's a mile long and includes some off-the-wall ideas like submitting chants recorded on your phone and a supporter dating service.

Because The Chattahooligans adapt every good idea we see from other groups, and because we think that our own ideas are worth stealing (Everyone should start a Prideraiser campaign!), we want to make the software available to other supporters groups. It has been revolutionary for us, especially for getting news out and for welcoming brand new fans into the community.

It's totally not a turnkey solution yet, though, and won't be for some time. Most of my development effort recently has been making the mobile app skinnable, so other logos and color schemes can be applied easily. We added a frenemy with the Northern Guard Supporters of Detroit City FC to the core team and helping them get a version out that's more _rouge and gold_ than _blue and white_ has been a priority. With more engaged brains and development resources, we will be able to move forward and build a product that's useful to the larger supporter community.

For salivating readers interested in their own Hooligan Hymnal implementation, I'll get to the point— your SG can have the app sooner if you have a motivated developer to join our team.

Photo courtesy of Matt Reiter.

If you could change anything about the current American soccer landscape (besides Pro/ Rel) what would it be?

I recall saying in 2012 that it would be interesting and exciting to see what American soccer was like, and what CFC's place in it would be, "in five years when everything is mature and stable." Oh boy, I have never been more misguided about anything in my life.

I'm still an ignorant fan overall, but it seems like every time I learn something new about the American soccer landscape (and it's not like FIFA is a model of fairness and ethical practices), the more upside down everything seems. Single entity, prohibitively expensive pay to play, lower division leagues cannibalizing each other, MLS at constant war with its own fans, franchise relocation, wage inequality at the national team level, failure for the men to qualify for the World Cup or even the Olympics, and so on. It's an unbelievable mess. Even if I had a magic wand, I do not know where I would start.

I think that the soccer ecosystem should be centered around clubs and that clubs should always act in a way that serves their communities.

I think that sports is sort of silly, but that teams, soccer teams especially, can serve as a gathering place and rallying point for communities and have a tremendous positive impact on people's lives. I really buy into the notion that a club is something greater and broader— Dennis Crowley (Kingston Stockade) elegantly expressed that clubs are platforms to build other things on, and I think about that frequently.

I think there are some great ideas to study and consider from other sports that can make soccer better. The local-centric structure of WFTDA roller derby and the post-play scholarship opportunities provided by the Canadian developmental hockey system come to mind.

I don't know, man. Soccer is simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen to me. It's wonderful, but also all-consuming.

Player Profile: Caleb Cole

Soccer, like all sports, has some great stories. The grassroots level is loaded with them, but none of them quite match up to that of Chattanooga FC’s Caleb Cole, who has climbed from ballboy to professional player at CFC.

His playing career started as a three-year-old. At the time, Cole and his family were living in Phoenix, Arizona. His older sister was playing in a recreational league and according to Cole, “I just ran onto the field and started playing. I’ve been playing ever since!”

Cole lived in Chattanooga from the time he was eight-years-old, until he was fourteen-years-old. During this time, he played under Pedro Kozak, an Argentine living in Chattanooga, who runs an academy in the area. Cole gives Kozak “credit for [his] development as a young player.”

Near the end of that stretch in the scenic city, Chattanooga FC was getting up and running. During this time, Cole and some of his friends had the opportunity to be ballboys for a few CFC matches. That obviously wouldn’t be his last time on the field at Finley Stadium.

In high school, Cole and his family moved up to Pennsylvania. During their time there, Cole played for a couple of club teams, including Penn Fusion and FC Continental (at the time they were FC Delco)’s Development Academy.

Following his time in high school, Cole attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, where he was a top player. In 2014 and 2016, Cole was named a Second-Team All-American. In 2015, he was a first-team All-American. He remains as the only player to ever do so at Gordon College.

During that three-year stretch, Cole led his team in goals every year. He also led the team in assists in 2015 and 2016. His presence at Gordon College was undeniable. Cole’s coach at Gordon, Derek Potteiger, would also eventually end up in the Scenic City, as well.

Potteiger took over the Lee University program in Cleveland, TN (just outside of Chattanooga), in 2017 and has been there ever since, but that isn’t his only significance in this story. While at Gordon, Potteiger reached out to Bill Elliot, the head coach of Chattanooga FC, to get his star player on board with the club.

As Cole says, “I worked hard at CFC, eventually opening the door for more opportunities with the club.” And those opportunities have certainly continued to come as Cole is still on the squad six years later.

Cole has nothing but praise for his time with Chattanooga FC. “CFC is a fantastic organization to be a part of, from the coaching staff and players (both current and former) to the front office staff, owners, and especially the Chattahooligans,” says Cole, “What an amazing organization, which I am grateful to be a part of.”

Cole also credits the quality of the squad for his improvements as a player, saying, “I had to work really hard to get to where I am now as a player. It takes grit and desire, and a willingness to train and get better even when you don’t feel like it and no is watching. CFC was a huge part of pushing me as a player and a person to mature and grow.”

That hard work has paid off. Last season, Cole scored his first goal for “The Boys in Blue” with a goal against the Atlanta Silverbacks (now Atlanta SC) “I think when I scored there was a moment where I didn’t quite believe it, and then the adrenaline hits you and everything else is a blur,” says Cole, “It’s one of the best feelings to celebrate with my teammates.”

Cole was also in the starting lineup against Real Betis a few weeks ago. He didn’t score against the La Liga giants and CFC fell 4-3, but it was still a great experience according to Cole, who said, “It was an amazing experience to walk out next to guys who I'd watched on TV play against Real Madrid only a couple weeks previously in La Liga. The coaching staff told us it was special, but that at the end of the day there are eleven of us and eleven of them. They are very methodical about how they try and pull a defense apart, and you have to be mentally tuned in and see the danger signs.”

The experiences off of the field are just as important as the ones on the field, and Cole has had his fair share of great experiences. “This team is great to be a part of, lots of talent on the field, and a great group of guys off the field which is truly unique,” he says, “We want to win. We want to be a family that competes together, and wins together.”

Aside from his teammates, he is also extremely thankful for the fans and the experiences he has had with them. “I think what stands out is the countless number of positive interactions that have come out of being a part of this club whether that be friendships on the team, or conversations with coaches, moments with fans after matches, joining the Chattahooligans at Chatt Brew post match... it is really special, and I am so thankful to be where I am!”

He also had high praise for the CFC Foundation and Operation Get Active. Cole points out the fact that “technology [plays] such a huge role” in the “formative” years of young kids. The Foundation does some great stuff and having players being involved is really awesome.

Caleb Cole’s story is truly incredible. From three-year-old pitch invader to ballboy to All-American to professional player, Cole has experienced so much through the game and has even played against a major European club. With these season getting underway for CFC and the Founder’s Cup coming up this fall, Cole’s story is surely not close to being over.

- Aarik Long

Graphic by Cory Mizer.

Player Profile: Felipe Oliveira

When examining the NPSL, there’s always a few teams that come up. Detroit City FC, the New York Cosmos, Miami FC, and Chattanooga FC. CFC is one that always seems to be on everyone’s radar. They’ve got a fantastic reach and reputation, they’ve got some of the league’s most passionate supporters, and they’ve consistently fielded a very good squad. Recently, they added a new member to this squad. Felipe Oliveira joined in 2017 and has spent the last two seasons with the club. He has also recently signed to CFC for their inaugural season as a professional club. I had the chance to talk to Felipe about his time with the game and what it’s been like since he arrived in Chattanooga. 

- Aarik Long

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When did you first start playing soccer?

I've been playing ever since I can remember learning how to walk. My dad said that since the first day he took me to my first soccer practice, I've always been crazy about the sport. It made me who I am today.

What other teams/clubs have you played for?

I've played for Florida Rush, where we won back to back regional and Disney Showcase championships as well as the national championship our U-18 year in 2012. I've also played for Pensacola City FC and Memphis City FC (both were in the same conference as CFC). 

What brought you to Chattanooga?

I came here for preseason my freshman year at West Florida playing for Bill Elliott and since then he's always talked about how great the city, fans and club were. It finally all worked out for me to come here for the 2017 season and here I am! 

Were you recruited by CFC or were you looking for an NPSL club?

I was recruited by CFC, I played for Bill at UWF all my 4 years.

What’s been your favorite part of playing for CFC?

My favorite part is definitely the connection with the Chattahooligans and the rest of the fans. It's like a family.

What are your top three moments ever on a soccer field and why?

1. It was definitely playing against Atlanta United, playing against Tata, Martinez, Almiron and the rest of the team in front of 12,000 fans against an MLS team was by far the best moment on a soccer field.

2. Second I would have to say winning the National Championship with Florida Rush, our team was extremely talented.

3. My third I would say was scoring my first goal at finley against Seattle, I've always wanted to score at finley to celebrate with the hooligans.

Who has been your biggest inspiration to play?

I would say my parents, I could tell they love watching me play as much as I love playing.

What does it mean to you to be one of the early signings for CFC as they move towards being a professional club?

I'm extremely grateful to CFC for believing in me and giving me this chance that at one point in my life I thought it was impossible. I hope I can repay their trust in me with goals and trophies! 

Rapid Fire Round

Favorite game day meal?

I like to eat rice and steak about 5-6 hours before game time and something light before I leave the house.

What’s your game day playlist like?

I like to listen to Post Malone on game days, but it all really depends on what good songs are out.

Favorite non-CFC club?

I’m a huge Barcelona fan!

Match that you’re most looking forward to?

I’m definitely looking forward to the Detroit game. They have an awesome fanbase as well and are very much like CFC so that shall be interesting.

Player you most model your game after?

I love watching Messi and I would say that’s who I play like.

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Player Profile graphic artwork provided by Cory Mizer, check out his gallery!

The New NPSL League: Skepticism, Optimism, Reality

What if I said there’s a new thing in the lower leagues that’s like cotton candy, Jesus, and a new Star Wars film? Ephemeral, difficult to define, full of hope and promise, thrilling in theory, troubling in its potential to fail, hard to understand, easy to poke holes in, far enough in the future to remain fuzzy, near enough to find the fuzziness worrisome, attacked by purists, elites, true believers, non-believers, skeptics, and the faithful. All of these things are true of the words on every lower league soccer fan’s lips - Founders Cup and the professional league to follow.

The Facts

NPSL Founder’s Cup is the still-developing professional league emerging from the NPSL. Set to kick off a full season in 2020, the clubs involved will play in a kick-off tournament called the NPSL Founders Cup in the Fall of 2019. In November, NPSL Chairman Joe Barone described the situation - “Beginning with the Founders Cup, fans will be able to enjoy watching authentic clubs compete with professional players and staff. This new venture will build upon the success and experience of NPSL and its nationwide network of local soccer club members.” Barone has since been replaced as Chair, but the plans for the new league continue to move forward.

I should be upfront in saying that Protagonist Soccer is a media partner of the NPSL and, while that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t criticize the league, that relationship may color the way some of my stated views might be received. So there it is - there’s the elephant in the room. Moving on.

The list of clubs involved so far are ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, FC Arizona, Miami FC, Miami United FC, Milwaukee Torrent, New York Cosmos, and Oakland Roots - some of the strongest sides in the NPSL, depending on how you measure strength. DCFC and Chattanooga FC are two of the best attended and supported clubs in the lower leagues, even if you bunched USL into “lower leagues” (Against USL attendance numbers this year, DCFC would rank 7th and Chatta would be 19th). If you are measuring strength with financial backing, obviously the two old NASL sides, New York Cosmos and Miami FC, have two of the richest owners in the lower leagues, Rocco Commisso and Riccardo Silva. The rest of the clubs are not quite to the level of the four I mentioned, but more on that to come.

The Reception

As I discussed on a recent episode of the Lower League Soccer Show, the announcement of this league has brought the hot takes from both sides of the argument. And, by definition, hot takes are meant to stir up controversy and spur reactions, but dear God, the unbridled optimism of some has only been matched by the sheer negativity of the other side.

For some, the coming of a professional expansion of NPSL is seen as a lower league response to the “encroachment” by USL into areas with established NPSL and UPSL sides. Those same people despise MLS for all the reasons that people despise MLS, most importantly the lack of pro/rel. And while pro/rel hasn’t been discussed publicly yet, many are hopeful that NPSL Pro will eventually open up the gates for promotion from the NPSL.

On the other side, scepticism is out of control. Some is coming from the old guard in the NPSL who see this upcoming professional league as nothing more than catering to the ex-NASL teams. Other criticism is coming from the other lower leagues’ supporters NPSL has competed against, mainly UPSL. That criticism seems to be more in the vein of “stay in your lane, who do you think you are,” which feels more like jealousy than actual criticism. The last camp of criticism is from the MLS types, who seem convinced that this league will fail and deserves mockery. I will never understand an American soccer fan rooting for a club or league to fail. But they exist, I assure you, just look for the side eye trolling online.

The Issues

While the loudest voices get the most attention online, there’s a segment of the soccer world who have concerns but aren’t burning down the house to make their point. I like to think of these types as the cautiously optimistic. They aren’t wishing for the league to fail, but they are worried about some issues that might arise. I’d like to compile a quick list of these issues and offer my takes as well.

Photo from reddit u/DomeyDion.

Attendance - When listing the strengths of the league earlier, I highlighted the drawing power of Detroit City and Chattanooga. Let’s look at the other teams we have information on. According to Kenn Tomasch’s site, Kenn.com, ASC San Diego drew around 1,000 people for home games (large aside: 1. Massive thanks to Tomasch, who is the only person online I could find trying to track this information. 2. Tomasch is the first to admit his information is severely limited. He begs for more information on his site. Teams should be lining up to help him.). The worst part about this is that ASC San Diego is the only other NPSL Pro club Tomasch has attendance information on. So who knows about the other 8 clubs, leaving a gap in the information leads me to speculate, but I’ll leave it be.

So with only three clubs with information, our data is short on attendance. What I would expect is that NPSL will bring some buzz around the clubs that are in the league. So all should expect a bump, at least in year one. After that, it will all depend on marketing and connecting with fans. Unlike MLS, who uses expansion fees to drive league growth, this NPSL professional league will have to focus on bringing fans through the doors. And if the newcomers can follow the model of DCFC or Chattanooga, maybe that can happen. My concern on that is TIME.

Unlike Detroit City, founded in 2012, and Chattanooga FC, founded in 2009, the newer clubs don’t have 6-10 years to get attendance, they have a year or three to escalate attendance and excitement. Maybe that’s too short of a window for the optimists, but I’m trying to be realistic. I think to get to where they need to be, they need a media deal.

Media Deal - Consider the model of MLS, even if it hurts you for a minute. While clearly expansion fees are funding their organization. According to wikipedia, “ESPN and Fox Sports pay a combined $75 million per season, and Univision pays $15 million per-season.” That’s 90 million a season. That’s aside from local broadcasting deals that some clubs have managed to negotiate. If you’re struggling to fill the seats, media money can help a lot. Or if you’re a brand new league who’s trying to get a foothold into local markets across the country.

“If creating a pro league was easy, we’d be overrun with pro soccer leagues.”

I’m only working with the information I have here, but several NPSL owners have voiced concerns in private about the lack of a media deal. Even a small deal that didn’t generate a ton of revenue could have the desired effect of drawing eyes to a brand new league. That might drive potential revenue streams in advertising, merchandise sales, and expansion markets. A media deal is a must.

Travel Cost - Consider the distance that Detroit City FC has to travel to their farthest current conference opponent, Milwaukee Torrent - 382 miles. When DCFC moves into Pro (even with the regional divide), the farthest distance will be 1,384 miles (Miami, FL). Even if you limited the number of travelers to 20 (11 starters, 5 bench players, 3 coaches, a trainer), the only way to travel will be by plane for a trip that long. Plus the cost of hotel rooms for overnight stay. Plus feeding your team (these are professionals now). Plus transportation to and from airport, hotel, and venue. This is troubling. And I don’t see an easy fix. For clubs with deep-pocketed owners, I guess they can eat that cost, but for clubs either unable or unwilling to take a loss because of travel costs, I see this as a sticking point. According to one source, the travel budget being discussed is around 400k. That’s almost a third of the estimated 1.5 million budget most teams will be operating under.

The only real solution I can see is expansion and regionalization. But again, with only 11 clubs confirmed for 2020, that’s a long way off. And money will be disappearing down the drain while those new clubs are found or founded.

There are probably some other issues hanging out there, the naysayers are loud and numerous. But that doesn’t necessarily make them right. The concerns I listed were the ones I’ve heard the most and the ones I feel are the most common sense.

The Reality

The list of concerns are daunting, of course, but I’m a big believer in the NPSL, the clubs, the owners, the fans, and the power of hard work. If creating a pro league was easy, we’d be overrun with pro soccer leagues. MLS, SUM, and USSF have made it progressively difficult for pro leagues to be successful. If not now, I seriously doubt it will be easier five or ten years from now. This is an uphill battle, but it’s an important battle, one worth fighting.

My list of concerns has almost certainly been discussed by the 11 clubs set to form this league. While I don’t see easy solutions for any of them, I do not think the men and women involved are stupid or blind to the challenge. On the contrary, I am confident that there are solutions and that those solutions are being planned. Some may say that’s ignorant trust, but the NPSL has been the most stable lower league for the last fifteen years. It has a track record of measured, steady growth. Why shouldn’t NPSL Pro be the next step?

So we shall see what comes. I am certainly excited about this league, but that excitement is tempered by an awareness of stumbling blocks that will need to be cleared. Success can be found, but it will take great effort in searching for it. I am a believer in soccer, especially lower league soccer - this can be done. Let’s put our shoulders to the wheel and move this thing forward.

- Dan Vaughn

*This article was edited to delete the use of the phrase “NPSL Pro.” Apparently the upcoming league will not be using that name and has yet to determine or announce the final label for the league.