Ryan's Weekend Wrap Up 7/10-7/12

THE ROJA LEAGUE

Diablos Estudiantes 2 - 0 NTX Rayados

I’ve been a bit slow to the lesson, but consider me now properly instructed on not ever doubting the abilities of Denton’s junior side. The Estudiantes have grown, and risen to the occasion, of each match, and every opponent, presented to them. This was never more evident as it was in their body of work vs NTX Rayados on Saturday night, where the Estudiantes posted an early two- goal lead in the first half, then showed a discipline they’d be lacking in earlier outings by shutting down the veteran Rayados and preventing any opportunity or hope for the visitors that they might make a comeback or share a point.

Estudiantes have held onto their league lead atop the standings, and will play the rest of the season out with a target on their back. Perhaps it may be too daunting a task to maintain their place at the top, but don’t choose against the youngsters yet.

Denton Diablos 4 -1 Fort Worth Vaqueros

Be honest, If you were tuned into this match, and not from Fort Worth, you were pulling for the Diablos. We all love an underdog story, and while The Chisolm Trail Clasico may only be in its second year, it’s already brought much heartache to the Denton side still seeking an inaugural victory against the Vaqueros after two 2019 NPSL regular season matches, one playoff match, and two eNPSL matches.

From the opening kickoff, the Diablos were committed to setting the pace and closing that chapter of heartbreak, and they’d score first at the 21st minute with an expertly turned shot beyond the diving effort of the Fort Worth goalkeeper and buried in the bottom left corner of the net. Seemingly aware of past histories versus the Vaqueros, in which Denton had scored the opening match in all past meetings, the Diablos continued to maintain a predominantly offensive shape and struck for a second goal 4 minutes later. Denton fans may have seen ghosts of Chisholm Trails past when the Vaqueros found a score just before halftime to shave the Diablo lead to just a goal, but a converted penalty in the 61’ and a final score in the 87’ gave Denton an emphatic first win against Fort Worth. The Diablos will also travel down to Cowtown for the second leg of the clasico with a commanding lead.

Inocentes FC 3- 3 Irving FC

Inocentes was a worthy favorite, along the likes of NTX Rayados, to win the inaugural Roja League, at least in my mind. They're a club rich in history, culture, community and developing highly competitive sides, most recently reaching the UPSL championship game in the Fall 2018 season, where they would only fall to the now-professional side California Strikers in penalties.All that history and success clearly hasn’t been lost on their opponents so far in the Roja League season, as Inocentes is absorbing everyone’s evident best shot. Denton’s first team kept clawing back in a season opening, thrilling, 4-4 draw. Fort Worth, while woeful in other contests, brought their A effort to the inaugural Cowtown Clasico in a 1-1 game. And now Irving FC, desperate to improve their position in the standings after an admirable in a 3-2 loss to Rayados and a draw with Denton, clawed their way back from an early deficit to claim a 3-3 finale. Both sides have looked strong and been highly competitive on the pitch, but they’re each still looking for their elusive first victory of the season.

THE HEARTLAND SUPER CUP

Southwest Region

Garden City Potrillos FC 2 - 0 Atletico Liberal FC

The southwest region of the heartland Super Cup kicked off in west Kansas this past weekend, with the Potrillos, or “Colts” of Garden City claiming a 2-0 advantage over neighboring Atletico Liberal FC.

Dodge City Toros FC 0 - 1 FC Wichita U20’s

Proving that playing their under-20 youth to winning results isn’t limited to the Denton Diablos, FC Wichita’s U20’s traveled to western Kansas and battled a stout Dodge City Toros lineup to a scoreless stalemate late into the match. The Reds then found a late goal, and 3 vital points with it, to carry back to Wichita ahead of hosting the rest of their group matches this weekend.

North Region

Iowa Raptors FC 7 - 0 Raptors Reserves

Springfield FC 3 - 0 Raptors Reserves

Iowa Raptors FC 2 - 0 Omaha Kings FC

Springfield FC 1 - 1 Omaha Kings FC

USL League 2 expansion side Iowa Raptors hosted the North Region in Cedar Rapids, and easily swept aside the Reserves, before defeating the Omaha Kings FC inaugural outdoor side. Omaha, a member of the indoor PASL league, would put together a strong effort in a draw versus the UPSL’s Springfield FC. The side from Illinois would later find a win against the Raptor’s Reserves. The group enters the second weekend of play with Iowa Raptors leading with 6 pts, Springfield sitting at 3 points, Omaha with a 1 point and the Reserves at 0.

UNITED PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE

Panther United FC 2 - 0 APTX CDF 

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Panther United FC 2 - 3 Houston FC 2 

It was a mixed bag of results for Panther United FC this past week. They scored a win and a clean sheet against APTC CDF on Tuesday, then fell in a surprisingly close effort to Houston FC 2 over the weekend in Central Conference - South, Division 2 action.

Houston FC 2 - 1 Athletic Houston FC

The UPSL Central Conference - South, Division One Battle for Houston, bragging rights, and the division lead was as well contested, and thrilling, a match as was hoped for. HFC and AHFC competed intensely all 90 minutes,through the hot and humid conditions, of their midday match. Houston scored two goals late in the first half, then hung on through an Athletic Houston rally for the victory.

Celta Gunners 0 - 2 The Mix SC

No two teams have met so far this season in the midst of such drastic changes in fortunes. Two matches ago, Celta Gunners were a victory away from the Southeast Conference - Central Florida West, Division One lead. In contrast, The Mix were wading through their inaugural season with great struggle, trading the basement of the standings at turns with Diaspora United CC. After The Mix spring the commanding upset of Celta though, the Gunners sit in last place and The Mix are in the mix (sorry!) for postseason play.

Leg A-Z International SA 3 - 1 Clay County SC

In the battle for second place behind Southeast Conference - Central Florida East’s leading OFC Barca, Leg A-Z InterSA may be the only club remaining with a chance of knocking off OFCB. They headed off the visitors from neighbouring Clay County by a 3-1 margin and claim one of only two undefeated records in division play. The other? Leg A-Z INterSA’s next opponent, OFC Barca.

FK Orlando 4 - 2 Orlando Rovers FC

One of the better matches I watched this week, from one of the more interesting selected angles. Much of the game was partially obscured from the camera’s perch in the far corner of the pitch by the timed lawn sprinklers, but from what I could make out, FK Orlando proved the better team on the day and quietly hangs around to make things interesting for future fixtures against OFC Barca and Leg A-Z InterSA. The Orlando Rovers, meanwhile, continue to provide competitive play on the field, just without the elusive win. That should come in a few more of their matches to come.

OFC Barca 4 - 2  Macca Ballers FC

Macca Ballers gave a competitive effort against division leaders OFC Barca, but OFCB eventually pulled away for a comfortable, two-scores, win.

Royal Palms SC 0 - 10 Sporting Orlando SC

Remember last week when I said this match could get ugly, fast? Well, this match got ugly, fast. Sporting Orlando SC carried to hangover from their loss to OFCB into this matchup, and instead took out their frustrations from the week prior on Royal Palms SC, a side now boasting an alarming -17 goal differential through just three games.

Arctic Rush 1 - 1 Fairbanks SC

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Fairbanks SC 1 - 4 Arctic Rush

The northernmost team in a national league, Fairbanks SC debuted against Arctic Rush in Anchorage, playing a doubleheader between the sides over the weekend. The visitors held their own in a game one, earning the draw and a point. However, Arctic came back in dominant fashion the following day to pick up a victory ahead of a rematch versus Last Frontier Conference leaders, Alaska Timbers, next week.

FC Arizona U23 0 - 4 Olympians FC

Another week, another victory, another clean sheet, another three points for Olympians FC in Southwest Conference play. It doesn’t look like they’ll find a serious competitor in the conference until post-covid pay returns and the likes of Sporting Arizona, FC Grande, and Southwest FC make their reappearance. If you aren’t yet watching Olympians FC, and have them as potential favorites for the national title, you should be.

Diaspora United 3 -3 Florida Tropics SC 2

Diaspora United continues to improve each week on the pitch, following up their draw with The Mix SC last week with a draw versus Florida Tropics SC 2 this weekend. The Tropics meanwhile, have just one point in the past two matches and appear to be fading down the stretch if they can’t turn the results around this week.

Alaska Timbers 12 - 4 MatSu United FC

The Timbers certainly arently looking ahead to the rematch versus Arctic Rush. MatSu United might be competitive against Fairbanks SC, maybe.

REMAINING UPSL ROUNDUP

Greenspoint Gunners FC 2 - 2 Barca School of Excellence, FORO SC 2 -1 Arlington FC, NTX Legends 2 - 0 Real Irving CD, APTX CDF 3 - 2  La Maquina , FC Arizona 1 - 2 East Valley FC, Almeyda FC 2 1 - 0 Houston Hotshots,

FC Sharp Keys 4 -3 FC Bago, Junior FC 0 - 3  Kernow Storm FC, Roc City Boom 0 - 0 Greater Binghampton FC, 

& Roc City Boom 1 - 1 Krajisnik FC 

FRIENDLIES & EXHIBITIONS

Philadelphia Lone Star FC 3 - 0 Allentown United FC (Friendly), Santa Fe NY 1 - 0 Connecticut Roma (Friendly)

Livonia City FC 1 - 1 Grand Rapids FC (Friendly), and Sunflower State FC 5 - 0 Arkansas Wolves FC (Friendly)

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

A COVID19 Report Card: Grading the Leagues' Response to the Pandemic

With the UWS finally cancelling their season, we’ve finally reached the conclusion of leagues we cover. With that in mind, I’m going to recap how and when each club decided how to handle their season in the time of pandemic and I’ll give them a rating A-F. I used to be a middle school teacher, so I should be able to handle this.

How it Happened: The spring season kicked off, sparking a ton of excitement, with newcomers Detroit City FC, Chattanooga FC, and Michigan Stars bringing a surge of talent to the league. Two weeks into the season, the pandemic was finally ramping up to the point it couldn’t be ignored. On March 12th, the league office announced it would be putting the spring season on hold for 30 days to allow the situation to unfold. After a month and a half, the league officially pulled the plug on April 27th.

The Aftermath: When the league announced the spring cancellation, they immediately announced plans for a summer challenge cup that would involve multiple amateur clubs along with NISA sides. As of now, that is still in the works. NISA also set up an eLeague and began play. The league has also made an announcement about the format and schedule of the fall season, giving fans a lot to look forward to. NISA finances are less clear than many leagues, so how they handled the obvious losses, it’s hard to tell from the outside. We do know some clubs are definitely continuing to honor player contracts and there are some that have not.

Got it almost perfect - regular communication, few leaks, future plans in place to hold fan attention. Only miss, player salaries.

How it Happened: Rumblings of the cancelled season began leaking very soon after talks began. I received multiple contacts from within the league that this was coming, but had to hold until we had concrete information. Unlike the UPSL, which has a fall season to regroup in, the NPSL, mostly due to the collegiate players, has to play in the early summer. On March 25th, Michael Lewis of Front Row Soccer put out a story claiming the league was cancelling the 2020 season. Soon after, we received confirmation from sources in the league and ran the story as well. The plan had been for the league to announce the cancellation the next day. Leaks happen.

An internal email revealed the league was relying on the decision from USASA, which recommended cancelling any group through April 30th. The league decided it was best to cancel the season.

The Aftermath: While the decision to cancel the season was probably the right one, the league was prepared an eLeague rollout soon after. That helped take a tiny bit of the heat off the league in the social media sector, but there were some issues that emerged, regardless.

In a move that at least one other league would mirror, the NPSL decided to keep the entirety of the league fee, while only supplying a partial credit for 2021. The fee of $5,500 was reduced to a $2,000 credit. I can tell you, clubs are NOT happy about this move. Maybe it’s a reality is grassroots soccer, but it felt really unfair to clubs operating on a shoestring budget.

And aside from that decision, everything the league did leaked before it was officially announced. This is good from a media perspective, but not good if you’re a league trying to crisis manage.

Not Good, Bob - kept their league fees, leaked like a sieve, pissed off their fans and clubs.

WPSL

How it Happened: On March 20th, the WPSL announced they would be postponing the start of the league by a month, moving the season kickoff from May 9th to May 29th. The press release contained a word of caution from Sean Jones, “If the situation doesn’t seem to be improving by the end of April and our top medical experts are recommending avoiding outdoor activities, then the WPSL will comply and not compete in 2020. We have informed our teams that we will provide them 30 days advanced notice if the cancelation does take place.” That would prove to be the case, so on April 30th, the league announced the cancellation of the season.

The Aftermath: Contained in the press release cancelling the season was a precursor announcement of a potential, one-off, fall season. This would be challenging, with the large amount of college players that participate in the league, but it certainly kept up hopes that amatuer women’s soccer would be seen in 2020. However, much like the NPSL, the league decided to keep the now cancelled 2020 season fees, $3,500 per club, but offering only $1,000 credit for 2021 (or the potential fall league). Unlike the NPSL, Sean Jones got ahead of this story and gave the logic and reasoning behind the decision, which staunched the bleeding a bit.

Better, but not perfect - kept in front of the story, prepped a fan pleaser, did damage control. All in all, a mixed bag.

How it Happened: The UWS was great at keeping their clubs updated on the situation. Kudos on that. The league ran the clock out on this one, hoping to find a way to fit in a season. On March 12th, the league continued to plan on a season. On the 20th, the announced that the schedule would be adjusted. On April 4th, the league announced they still intended to play a 2020 season. However, on June 9th, the season was called and the league announced the regular 2020 season wasn’t going to happen. They just announced (June 12th) the UWS National Cup. As of today, seven teams are participating and the tournament will be hosted in Texas by FC Austin Elite.

The Aftermath: The big benefit of waiting until the last possible moment to cancel the season was that the UWS had learned from the missteps made by the other national amateur leagues. Every league that had given severely limited credit had been raked over the coals on social media. UWS, in a move their own press release called “bucking the trend,” the league announced they would be giving their clubs “approximately 80% credit towards next season’s fees.” And don’t think that last line of the press release isn’t an invite to other amatuer woso clubs “United Women’s Soccer looks forward to returning even stronger in 2021 with a full season of high level competition.”

I have two major complaints. One is that the league could have shown more leadership in cancelling the season earlier. Felt like it dragged out about two weeks longer than it should have. The other complaint is the inherent risks that come with playing soccer without the payroll to establish strong safety protocols with rigorous testing.

Close, very close - good communication, learned from other leagues’ mistakes, took care of clubs. Should have called it earlier.

How it Happened: The UPSL has, at times, struggled in moving with agility in public relations. I say this as a guy who emails the league looking for information on the regular. They are polite, but I’m almost always told, “we’re working on that.”

The league announced they would postpone the season on March 25th, using similar logic to the NPSL. The date the UPSL gave was May 2nd, which many scoffed at for being way too early for resuming play. Then an announcement came out on May 15th that league play would resume, in limited scope, on June 20th. Some states won’t allow play at this point, so those clubs won’t be participating. However, league powerhouse states like Florida and Texas, with governors set on reopening the economy, would be up and running. The league did stipulate that “The intention is to run a 10-game regular season ending the weekend of August 22-23 followed by two weekends of play-off competition, the second of those being Regional Finals on the weekend of September 5-7. Once participating divisions and teams are known, the play-off structure and season schedule will be released. This will occur no later than Thursday, June 11.”

The Aftermath: And this is the big gamble that I’ve discussed on at least 4 podcasts at this point. What happens if there’s a team infection scenario? Or if a player potentially dies from this? Or a fan gets sick from attending a match? Unlike the big professional leagues, the UPSL can’t have the same level of safety protocols. It’s a gamble, but will it pay off. That remains to be seen.

We just don’t know yet. Good communication, but with play about to resume, we shall see if the gamble pays off.

My Best Ten and Me: The All Time Greatest From Cleveland SC

Our ongoing series of Best Ten’s + 1 takes us to Cleveland SC this week and President Samuel Seibert decided the following rules weren’t for him either…

1. You are the Player/Manager and you have to plug yourself in.

2. Any player selected must have been active in your lifetime.

He was sure to insert current head coach Tom Beck and told me the first player off the bench was going to be Bobi Cancar - Bobi had the task of filling in for Declan after his departure. Bobi is the one guy we want on the pitch when we are caught out. He’ll take on everyone and end up with the ball more times than not. 2016 Champion. Mr. Samuel Seibert went on to explain that the players are sent to me in a 4-3-3 and might look that way on the pitch initially, but Just because its these specific guys, many times we are going 3-1-2-1-3 to rock a diamond because Mikey and Admir run the show in the middle - The forewards take care of everything once we pass midfield. Here’s the Best ELEVEN from Cleveland SC.

(GK) Marijo Musa
(Cleveland, OH)- Marijo is currently a goalkeeper trainer with Cleveland Force SC. Marijo has had caps with the USSDA when younger and shows that composure in the net for the majority of our matches. Marijo has the most clean sheets in our history.

(RB) Chris Cvecko
(Cleveland, OH/CWRU Alumni)- Current Orange High School Head Coach. He is an Ironman that plays every minute of every match that wins out with stamina. His ability to contribute offensively from the back line generally has him scoring more goals in a season than he allows from his side. 2016 National Champ

(CB) Coletun Long
(University of Dayton/ Cleveland, OH) - Coletun is the Captain of the Club with shear grit and intensity that intimidates Strikers more than anything. Coletun helped spur a comeback against Rochester FC in the 2019 Regional playoff with the first goal of a 4-1 run to win 6-4. We were down 3-1 in the 83rd minute. Coletun is a 2016 Champ as well.

(CB) Declan McGivern
(Huddersfield England/ Notre Dame College Alumnus) Currently with Runcorn FC across the pond, is extremely difficult to win a header against at his 6’5” stature. In that fashion Declan scored the very first league goal for Cleveland SC in 2018. 2016 National Champ

(LB) Corban McAvinew
(Cleveland, OH) Middle name Blade and it’s extremely fitting. His cuts and slicing of opposing players dribble ability makes him a dual threat. Corban is currently on SIUE’s college squad.

(RCM) Admir Suljevic
(Wickliffe, OH) - Admir is a field general, a played out term but it suits him to a tee. When it comes to crunch time there is no one better to rely upon to find the net. Penalty and free kicks are his strength as he can bend with the best. 2016 National Champ.

(LCM) Kareem Banton
(Jamaica- Cleveland State University)(2018 squad)Kareem thrives on his speed. There is not much quicker in semi-pro leagues and is a professional prospect.

(CAM) Mikey Derezic
(Lakewood, OH) - Mikey’s midfield play has him as the director on the pitch. He fools everyone with his ball skills then shoots to score. Mikey scores Cleveland SC’s only goal against a strong Paul Danglish led Miami FC squad in the 2019 Regional match. 2016 NPSL champion.

(RW) Antonio Manfut
Antonio represents his own skills clinic AM Skill Training as he is well known for his professional indoor talent. Antonio’s aggressive nature and footwork has defenders in circles at times. Antonio scores the game winner in 2016 for AFC Cleveland’s NPSL Championship. Antonio’s goal in 2019 from mid pitch has gone viral. Antonio currently plays for the Florida Tropics indoor squad of MPSL. 

(CF) Vinny Bell
(CWRU Alumni/Cleveland, OH)- current board member of America Scores Non-Profit agency is a serious force that does well in traffic. Vinny can be left up too by himself and still find ways to score. Vinny was most recently voted 3rd best NPSL player of all-time. 2016 NPSL Champion. 

(LW) Tom Beck
(Poland, OH) - Current Head Coach and Alumni of Cardinal Mooney High School Soccer presents an intimidating dilemma on the pitch. His ability to create on his own has him score almost every time he is on the pitch, one of his best goals came against Monarcas Morelia Reserves Spring 2019. 2016 NPSL Champion.

Previewing the Match: What We Saw

When the NPSL notified us that they wanted us to choose a match to sponsor, we couldn’t have landed a more perfect match than the 2018 NPSL Heartland Conference Semifinal between Little Rock Rangers SC (Home) and Tulsa Athletic (Away). Not only because it was a great match, but because one of our staff, Ryan Stallings, is one of the principal guys in the Little Rock Rangers’ supporters group, The Red Watch. So Ryan sat down and wrote about his memories of this season, offering you, the reader, a preview from the eyes of a guy who went to the match. Yesterday, Ryan broke down the lead up, today he gives you the matchday experience. The match will be shown here. Enjoy.

- Dan

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It is difficult for me alone to describe the coalescence of feelings while standing in the tunnel with fellow Red Watch members preparing to march into Section 29 of War Memorial Stadium on the eve of the Little Rock Rangers’ first home playoff match in club history. Pride in the club’s accomplishments leading to this moment, confidence that the club’s players and staff will acquit themselves well in the match ahead, and still anxious if the stage might be too great, too soon, too ill-timed.

Rangers’ supporter Trent Eskola summed up that feeling of nervousness well. “Given last year’s back to back results in Tulsa, and the fact we’d just defeated them for the first time at home four days prior, I knew they would want revenge.”

Would the moment prove too great for the Stags? Was it too much to ask them to knock off Tulsa just four days after they managed it for just the first time in club history? Would hosting a first playoff match prove too great a distraction? Could we be more confident of the result were it anyone else but Tulsa Athletic, again?

Granted, the ninety-four hours since the previous match hadn’t softened any lingering animosity felt between the fanbases. Tulsa Armory members were quick to note the history of results between the clubs, while Red Watch supporters retorted with scoreboard pointing and talk of home field advantage. Tulsa’s owner, Sonny Delasandro, responded to Rangers fans’ boasts of Stags’ GK Walid Birrou’s ability to negate the vaunted Tulsa offensive by saying Birrou was “the fourth best goalkeeper we’ve faced in the conference this season, at best.” This comment was screenshot by supporters and shown to players and fans, helping cement Tulsa Athletic in their minds as the now hated rival.

Now that rival’s players lined up in the tunnel alongside the home club, and members of the Tulsa Armory filed into the stands opposite us. We marched into our section, drums pounding, banners waving, voices chanting. I remember the eerie quiet of the dozens of supporters beside me, and the thousands of fans behind me, as we stood through the national anthem, then watched the players take their places on the pitch. Supporters leaned over the wall, smoke in hand, ready to pull the pins and release red clouds over the stadium. Everyone in attendance leaned forward in anticipation of the opening whistle. Then, from along the wall, supporter Brenden Beattie screamed “F**k Tulsa, And F**k their shitty litter box of a state!” All nervousness was lost, and laughter rippled through the supporter ranks in its stead. Then, the whistle shreaked. Smoke rolled. Drums pulsed. Crowd Roared. Kickoff.

The majority of the match played out eerily similar to the contest four nights prior, with Tulsa showcasing their highflying attack capable of striking from anywhere over the pitch. Little Rock rested on the ability of their stout defensive midfield and veteran backline to negate Tulsa’s aggressive play, but the A’s came at the Stags in wave after wave of early attacks, testing Birrou with a variety of shots. Tulsa even managed to get behind the Rangers defenders and create some 1v1 chances, but Birrou stood on his head and kept the netting free of a Tulsa goal. Rangers fans were quick to note both Walid’s playmaking and Sonny’s location in the stands, sending chants of “Fourth best keeper in the league!” rolling in his direction. Sonny, to his credit, showed good form in responding to both the chants and to the growing number of youthful Rangers fans taking special interest in bantering with the Tulsa Armory members in attendance.

“This was the match I truly believe you could feel the crowd, as a whole, take on the identity of being Rangers fans. No longer was a Rangers game a fun evening activity to go see them play against some other team. The fans began to bleed for the club, and they were deeply invested in the play of the match itself, and in bantering with Tulsa’s fans specifically because it was Tulsa,” Rangers’ supporter Mason Shuffied recalls.

Halftime, for Little Rock’s players and fans, came mercifully. The Stags had endured the full assault of Tulsa’s attack, and began to return the attacking favors late as cracks started to show in the A’s counter defense.

The second half saw a more even competition develop, with Little Rock growing into the game and matching Tulsa blow for blow in build up play. The feeling in the supporters section, as the time ticked past the 70th minute, was that a single goal was sure to decide the game. As the 80th minute passed, it seemed that single goal would have to wait until extra time. But the 88th minute, that thought appeared assured. Then Donald Benamna and the 89th minute of the match happened.

To truly watch and understand that sequence in the corner of the Rangers’ attacking half is to understand much of the 2018 season for the Rangers, and Benamna’s role in it. Donald had found Little Rock through his time at the University of Central Arkansas, twenty-five minutes up I-40 from the Rock City. A Central African Republic native, Washington Beltway resident, and San Diego State University transfer, Benamna brought a wrinkle to the Rangers attack that had been severely missing in previous seasons. Making his Rangers debut in week two of the 2018 regular season, down late 1-0 to FC Wichita, Donald outclassed the opposition on the field and evened the score. He nearly won the game with several dangerous attacks in final minutes before an incredible goal in the dying seconds secured a win for eventual conference champion Wichita. Little Rock endured a loss that night, but Donald put the rest of the conference on notice, and proceeded to punish every team that respected or disrespected his presence on the field from there on out. Again and again throughout the year, his teammates were content to through-pass to him alone in his favored vantage point in the left attacking corner, where over and over Donald would embarrass a defender or three in creating a scoring chance for himself for his fellow Stags. Four night’s ago, he’d found such success in putting the match away against Tulsa in the 89th minute for the victory.

Tonight, he’d been frustrated by the Tulsa defense. Until now, the 89th minute. Again in the left attacking corner. Donald dribbled with his back to goal before cutting inside between two overlapping Tulsa defenders. Having gained the angle inside, Donald flicked a pass back to center to midfielder Katsuyoshi Kimishima. Katsu’s shot deflected off a defender’s step in a small, looping hop directly towards the Tulsa goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and waiting hands...and to Donald Benamna, who beat the keeper to the deflected ball and drove it into the upper right corner of the Tulsa net.

“Donald’s goal will always be be a moment I remember,” Eskola recalls, “The last minute, the dominant play. The scenes, I mean, the absolute scenes. The loudest I've heard that stadium in a long time.”

Goal. Smoke. Roar of the Crowd. Whistle. Match.

- Ryan Stallings

My Best Ten and Me: The All Time Greatest From El Farolito

Founded 35 years ago in the San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL), El Farolito have since won that league five times, won the prestigious US Open Cup and have moved up to the NPSL, only to win their Golden Gate Conference at the first opportunity in 2018. “El Faro” is perhaps one of the most underappreciated, and understated grassroots soccer clubs in the country - you won’t find them bragging and boasting about their accomplishments. When I reached out to see if somebody would like to play the My Best Ten & Me, there was only one anonymous taker and he threw out our rules…

1. You are the Player/Manager and you have to plug yourself in

2. Any player selected must have been active in your lifetime…

Instead, we got a list of the most accomplished players from the history of El Farolito - whether they played in that remarkable 1993 US Open Cup season as a member of San Francisco CD Mexico (originally El Farolito and eventually changed back to El Farolito) or a member of the side during its run in the California Premier Soccer Association (a sort of, California super-league). Our mysterious club contact set up the All Time Greatest El Farolito squad in an attacking 4-3-3 that their aptly named Burrito Brava would die for.

(Manager) Salvador “Chavita” Lopez
Founder of the club that lead the team to promotions to the top division in the San Francisco Football League and other regional Championships.

(GK) Guillermo “Grillo” Valadez
Played for Atlas FC in Mexico before being a fundamental piece in the US open cup championship.

RB) Arturo “Cuate” Ramirez
Strong defensive player with great tactical intelligence.

(CB) Jose Gutierrez [Captain]
Our leader, was one of the top players to ever wear the Farolito shirt. 

(CB) Guadalupe Fonseca
Very technical, strong player and great reader of the game. 

(LB) Jesús “Chuy” Cardenas
One of the youngest players in the Open Cup Championship team, Know for his stamina and long box to box runs for 90+ minutes. Eventually went on to play in Liga Ascenso Mx for Gallos de Aguascalientes and Zacatepec. 

(RCM) Elias Fonseca
Extremely smart central player who knew how to contribute defensively and offensively. 

(LCM) Samuel “Abuelo” Cid del Prado
Great distributor of the game with amazing technical talent. 

(CAM) Luciano Guiñazu
Played for many years in El Farolito San Francisco Football League squad, over 35 and over 40 teams. Played 2nd div in his home country Argentina and was champion in Liga Ascenso Mx with Gallos de Aguascalientes.

(RW) Jose Ángulo
Played international friendlies with the Colombian National team in the early 90's, a leader and always a threat offensively in a any moment of the game. 

(LW) Jose “Cachas” Segura
Smart in short spaces and fast in large spaces,  played for many years being the top goal scorer in San Francisco Football League. 

(CF) Mariano Laurean
A complete player in the 9 position with speed, technique, character, intelligence and lethal in the air.

Breaking: NPSL to Cancel 2020 Season

This story is developing and will be updated as news becomes public.

First reported by Michael Lewis, of Front Row Soccer, the NPSL is cancelling the 2020 season due to the pandemic gripping the nation. Lewis cites an unnamed source for his information.

When we reached out the NPSL, we spoke with a league official who, off the record, indicated this was correct and to expect a statement from the league tomorrow around noon. We also reached out to NPSL club owner who informed us that the league had been waiting for a call from the USASA and speculated that the governing body may have made the final decision. If that is the case, we can expect a lot more leagues to be closing up shop for the year.

Updated 3:43MT

Protagonist Soccer has received an enteral email distributed to league clubs regarding the cancellation of the 2020 NPSL Season. The message is from Kenneth Farrell, NPSL Chairman. The email includes the core reasoning behind the decision to cancel the season:

“Earlier this week, USASA has extended its ban on soccer activity until April 30, and the CDC last week has recommended there be no group activities for eight weeks, which coordinates with May 10. Given these circumstances, the 2020 NPSL summer season, under its current competition structure, has been cancelled.  This decision was made unanimously by our Board of Directors…This action was not taken lightly.  Over the past few weeks, we have spoken to many of our teams and to our affiliate organizations.  As you can imagine, every situation is different and has its own set of circumstances.  We are balancing the immediate needs of our teams, and ensuring that we have a successful, thriving league for years to come.”

That decision by the USASA can be found here.

More news when we have it.

- Dan Vaughn

The Risk of Soccer in the Age of COVID-19

Sports and Sickness

News broke today that the NCAA plans to hold its men’s and women’s tournaments without fans present due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The virus, commonly referred to as the Coronavirus, is considered too much of a threat for the NCAA to allow fans to attend the games. NCAA President Mark Emmert’s statement was very specific about the NCAA Board of Governors’ concerns. “I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance. While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

The announcement from the NCAA came in tandem with an announcement from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine banning spectators from games, specifically the NCAA Men’s tournament kickoff game to be played in Dayton. “The order will be that there cannot be spectators there. There certainly will be people — there will be TV people, there can be radio people there, there can be sports writers, certainly can be the media there. But we’re not going to have the large crowd.” In another statement DeWine was blunt about his perspective - “Ohioans have to understand what the facts are, that any gathering of people in close proximity to each other is dangerous.” DeWine’s announcement is one in a series of large-scale bans being implemented by local municipalities in the face of the rapidly spreading pandemic. Schools across the country have either cancelled classes or moved classes online, in an effort to slow the progress of the disease.

Soccer Reacts

The soccer world in other countries is ramping up their efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, particularly in Italy, where matches have been played in front of empty seats. La Liga officials made the aggressive decision to suspend the league for the rest of the month, in hopes of the situation coming under control by early April. In the United States, Seattle Sounders, in a state heavily affected by the outbreak, just announced the postponement of their next home game, due to a request from the governor. The USL affiliate of the Sounders, Tacoma Defiance, will play their next match behind closed doors.

So where does that leave the subject of our coverage, the grassroots soccer leagues across the country? We’ve reached out to several of the leagues we cover and only the UPSL has responded officially. A spokesperson for the league gave this statement: “The UPSL is staying flexible but following USASA guidance on this. That said, games are currently scheduled to be played this weekend.” We left a message at the USASA National Office for Duncan Riddle, executive director, but haven’t heard back at the time of publication (should he respond, this article will be updated).

The NPSL, for their part, sent out a memo to their clubs which included a statement from Cindy Spera, NPSL Managing Director, “With the increase of reported CoVid-19 (“coronavirus”) around the country, our main priority is the safety and health of our players, coaches, and staff.  Our 2020 NPSL season has started matches on the West coast, and nationally, our teams are preparing for US Open Cup and holding tryouts and pre-season training sessions.  We would like to recommend that our teams adopt best practices in order to minimize the chance of exposure.” Included with this memo was a list of potential approaches clubs could take to limit risk. While there was a general section on general approaches, there was also a section for soccer specific approaches which included:

• Anyone (player, staff member, coach, etc.) who is feverish should not participate and stay at home.

• Avoid handshakes - use fist bumps or elbow touches with players, coaches, staff, and referees.

• Avoid all spitting - including on the ground as players may come in contact. Coaches should remind players not to spit. 

• Ensure that athletic trainers are prompt to give them extra time to address any concerns. 

• Ensure that trainers have adequate supplies - especially gloves and antibacterial supplies such as sanitizer, alcohol pads, and soap products. 

• Have extra balls on hand.  If a ball goes into the stands, disinfect the ball before putting it back in play.  The home team is advised to wipe down balls with alcohol or disinfectant at half time.

• Suspend autograph signings as it is a risk to pass items back and forth.

• Display attached sign / infographic in your training facility on game day in locker rooms, bathrooms, and food areas.

The sign mentioned in the final item is a sign that MLS created for their clubs. The NPSL received permission to include and post the sign for their players and staff.

MLS-created content.

The Difficult, but Right Path

It seems clear that banning large gatherings of people makes sense, especially when we think of the potential contact each attendee could have in their everyday lives. While most adults and children are relatively safe in the event of infection, there is still a statistical chance of serious illness or death. And for older adults (70+) or those with compromised immune systems, the threat is much more serious and often fatal. No person should ignore the risk to those of our community that could not survive this disease, regardless of their own health. Everyone has a grandmother, grandfather, or some other family member or friend who could run the risk of death, should they become infected with COVID-19.

So should leagues cancel matches or play the matches without a viewing audience? It seems obvious they should do something aggressive, particularly when members of the crowd could run the risk of infecting each other. Obviously in some regional or local leagues, crowds aren’t really a concern, but even the players may run the risk of infection. The virus is still contagious even before symptoms begin to manifest, so a player may not feel sick on matchday even though they could be infecting those around. Luckily, most of the NPSL and UPSL aren’t playing league matches yet, leaving the league the chance to wait and see. However, in those leagues most of California is already up and rolling and NISA is already in Week 3 of action this weekend, with important home openers scheduled in Chattanooga and Detroit in the next couple of weeks, where large crowds should be expected. With streaming via Youtube or Mycujoo easily accessible for their fans to watch the matches, why run the risk of spreading the disease?

Dealing with a public health threat requires concern, intelligence, scientific facts, and a willingness to sacrifice. It seems clear that now is the time to take drastic steps, but rather or not teams and leagues will take those steps remains to be seen. Fans will certainly be opposed to any action that restricts their access to their clubs, but doing what’s best for the weakest in our society is the most important decision any league or organization could make. Either postpone the games or restrict access and stream the matches, it’s the right thing to do at this important moment.

- Dan Vaughn

When we hear back from any official, we’ll update this article.

February Heat in Laredo

This time of year, most NPSL clubs are just now starting to fire up their social media accounts and check email, let alone focusing on roster building. Fields are thawing out and grass is slowly going green (not everywhere, but you get my point), so things are waking up and soccer along with it. Some clubs are ahead of the rest of the league, with Round 1 of USOC kicking off early next month, but others clubs are pushing ahead with hopes of getting a head start to the 2020 season. Without a USOC berth this year, the Laredo Heat are focused on this year to climb back into the top spot in their conference. 

John Powell, Heat head coach

John Powell, the head coach for Heat, has high hopes for his club’s chances this season, due to their early focus on roster building. “The squad is coming together nicely for this time of the year. With over two months before the team will report to Laredo, we have over 75% of the team signed. We will continue with the announcement of our signees throughout the next month. My coaching staff and I have planned, recruited, and been in contact with some of the top collegiate players in Texas, Arizona, and California.” The club announced this week the addition of three more players, winger/forward Ryan Goldsmith, midfielder/forward Daniel Ortiz, and outside/center back Gabriel Claudio.

The three players couldn’t come from more diverse backgrounds and that typifies Laredo’s approach to player recruitment. Claudio, from Yuma, AZ, made it onto the club’s radar due to his strong play for Yavapai College, where in two seasons, he scored 12 goals and notched 6 assists. El Paso native, Daniel Ortiz, made his name in soccer in California, and, as Powell puts it, the club is “thrilled to bring Danny back to Texas.” Ortiz brings with him a host of awards from his years with California State University - San Bernardino. Ryan Goldsmith, originally from Cork, Ireland, also played his college ball in California. For Goldsmith, joining Laredo was just the next step of growing his resume - “They [Laredo Heat] are a team and organization that wants to compete at a tough level and win matches. Being part of that culture and environment will help me reach my goals of becoming a professional soccer player”

 When asked about his staff’s approach to player recruitment and retainment, Powell explained their methods. “My coaching staff and I began by watching as many Division I, II, III, and NAIA matches as well as some of the top Junior Colleges in the country from the beginning of August. From there, we built out our ‘wish list’ of players and began making contacts. After the initial contacts, we just continued to grind and show our players that we, as a staff and organization, are willing to outwork others in order to be successful. We then, in turn, ask our players to do the same when they pull that Laredo Heat shirt on this summer. After building a relationship with these players, a common theme in their decision to come to Laredo has been because they feel that the organization is truly invested in them and will help them move their game to the next level.”

Goldsmith playing for CSU-Bakersfield. (Image courtesy of Mark Nessia Photography)

Building a roster that can compete in the Lone Star Division is just the first step to climb back to the top of the standings. After an incredible undefeated debut regular season in 2018 (and a USOC bid), Laredo hit a sophomore slump in 2019, finishing fifth in the division. Powell chalks up that finish to an overall improvement in the talent level throughout the Lone Star Division. “Last year was a big wake up call as almost every team in our conference was made up of some outstanding players and coaching staffs. The overall level of play in our conference from 2018 to 2019 was, without a doubt, much higher. This has forced us to examine many of our processes, mainly our approach in regards to recruitment. This was a major factor that led to our early identification process this Fall.”

If the early bird gets the worm, maybe the early club gets the talent. Laredo is testing that in 2020 and the results should show in the final standings.

- Dan Vaughn

Old Man Yells at Sky: Old People Suck, Young People Suck, All People Suck Edition

1. Life Advice - If you’re waiting on other people to do something, just do it yourself. If the thing is important enough to bug you, you can’t wait for other people to do it. You’re spending time and effort being frustrated, just throw yourself into the solution of it. People will ALWAYS disappoint you. Accept that fact and move on. Get moving!

2. Greenville goes on hiatus - I know GVLFC is relatively new in the NPSL, joining just two years ago, but goddamnit I am sick of clubs doing this. And I’m not angry with the club, I’m angry with the league, the fans, the situation. I want the next DCFC, the next CFC, instead clubs keep dropping like flies. It’s depressing. Sustainability is becoming my catchphrase. I yell it at every club I meet, every league official I talk to, every fan dealing with a struggling local club: SUSTAINABILITY! We have to change the state of things.

3. Which are worse? - I work customer service in my day job so a question came into my head the other day - do young people suck more than old people or is it the other way around? Young people are messy, stupid, and generally pains in the butt, while old people are demanding, can’t hear, complain constantly, and are generally pains in the butt. Both groups have zero problem rearranging your furniture, cutting in line, demanding service above and beyond. I think I hate everyone, regardless of age. So maybe that’s my answer.

4. Ohio Heart Cup - I like this idea. A local cup, ran by local clubs, for the promotion of all clubs involved, regardless of league affiliation. More of this please.

5. #GirlDad - What began as a cute way to acknowledge the special relationship between fathers and daughters (sparked by the untimely death of Kobe and Gigi Bryant), has officially jumped the shark. Last night, Jezebel ran an article highlighting everything the author saw wrong with this celebration. I am not telling anyone how to feel about anything, but being contrarian will only get you so far. Maybe it will get you clicks, I dunno. Maybe I should be more contrarian, start raging against kittens and pizza. Lighten up, people.

6. USWNT - We’ve got Olympic qualifiers going on and apparently everyone forgot to show up in Houston?! Just over 4,000 for the reigning World Cup Champions? Houston should NEVER again get a sniff of this team. Defenders of the city are saying it was a lack of marketing and promotion, wrong time of year, bad opponent, the stars aren't aligned, the list keeps building, but come on. Show up for our national team, the rest of the world is in awe of our women and we don’t deserve them. If we have to play every match in Portland, so be it.

7. Queensboro FC - Anyone gonna tell David Villa there’s no promotion/relegation in the US system? Maybe he’s hoping that changes at some point? More players need to call for pro/rel or nothing will change.

8. Forward Madison Burnout - Name a famous band. The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Strokes, Pearl Jam, U2. All have great catalogues, good songs, super talented, no reason to hate them. Then you get surrounded by fans of one of them and it’s nonstop how great they are, how every song is life-changing, and no other bands compare. Except, for all their greatness, there are bands that compare, there are other bands that are good, and hearing about the same band over and over again makes you want to pull your heart out because its denying the reality that other great bands exist.

   Forward Madison has done some great things in their rollout: savvy social media, great design, a cheeky approach to marketing, so much to celebrate. But people, get over yourself. Just because the rest of the USL1 is falling behind on promotion doesn’t mean there are NO OTHER CLUBS KILLING IT. There are so many great clubs doing similar work with less payroll, less employees (some with NO paid staff), and less time. So let’s be realistic in our praise of FMFC - great job, one of many doing a great job.

9. Comparing Leagues - I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. How would the best NISA team (in my opinion, DCFC, at the moment) do against a USL1 schedule? Could DCFC win that league? What about Championship? How would DCFC do against Louisville or El Paso? Hard to say, but we need more friendlies to figure this out. Considering DCFC has played FC Juarez, who share ownership partners with Locomotive, it should be an easy one to set up. Just sayin.

10. Music Recommendation - Sigur Ros - “Hoppipolla” - I’m always looking for music to write by, so generally I’m looking for music without words or, and this leads to today’s rec, music in another language. Sigur Ros is a go to for sure in that category. Love this band, who sing mostly in Icelandic, and heartily recommend you put them on in the background while you work today.

Greenville FC Goes on Hiatus

The news broke yesterday afternoon, Greenville FC had decided to pull out of the 2020 NPSL. The press release (as seen below) sites the exit of multiple Southeast conference opponents as the main reason for the decision. This offseason has seen Asheville City (USL2), Chattanooga (NISA), and Atlanta SC (NISA) all depart for other leagues, both professional and amateur. Just looking at the list of clubs from last season (2019) and comparing it to this season, it’s clear the quality of the conference has dropped significantly.

As of the time of this article, the NPSL website has already updated to indicate Greenville’s hiatus, showing the Southeast conference as containing Georgia Revolution, Inter Nashville FC, and North Alabama SC. Also included in the club list for the conference are two placeholders listed as “To Be Announced.” Which clubs these represent isn’t known at this point, but including two (as compared to one) certainly gives the impression that they are specific clubs in mind for the league.

Speculating on the Greenville’s new status, the explanation, centered on the shakeups to the conference, leaves something to be desired. Greenville has been on the rise since their first season in 2018. After finishing near the bottom of the table in 2018, the club made the Southeast conference playoffs in 2019. After the release of the news yesterday, we have spoken with supporters of the team and they highlighted the drop in attendance when the USL1 club, Greenville Triumph, moved into town last season. Those supporters speculated that Greenville FC may be returning to an approach more focused on local talent development, through indoor or small-sided play. They also mentioned the club has been very quiet during the offseason, further contributing to dwindling fan support. All of those concerns and comments are, of course, speculation, but speculation well-informed by the situation on the ground in Greenville.

Regardless of the long-term results of this move, grassroots soccer is better with Greenville FC in it. The NPSL is better with Greenville FC in it. Seeing a playoff-quality club forced to decide to go into hiatus is a bad thing. Soccer leagues need to be more focused on the sustainability of their member clubs, rather than simply adding expansion sides to replace those exiting. We need more clubs outgrowing the leagues than closing up shop. The cycle of clubs expanding and folding should be of great concern to all of us, especially the fans.

Best of luck to Greenville FC in their reorganization efforts.

Ohio Heart Cup Competition Announced

Today, the Ohio Heart Cup was announced. The yearly competition of amateur clubs from Ohio will bring together some of the best known teams in the state, while allowing some brand new clubs the opportunity to compete. The Director of the competition, Samuel Seibert, highlighted the competition as a chance “for Ohio soccer fans to get competitive soccer closer to home.” Seibert, aside from his role with the Ohio Heart Cup, is also the president of participating club Cleveland SC.

The full list of clubs in the competition includes Cleveland SC, FC Columbus, Toledo Villa FC, Cincinnati Dutch Lions, Dayton Dutch Lions, Amish Country United, Forest City FC, Club Toledo, and Youngstown Nighthawks. Those clubs are drawn from three amateur leagues currently operating in the state: USL League Two, NPSL, and NOSL. But that list of clubs and leagues may grow in the future. According to Seibert, the tournament is open to expansion if more clubs show interest; and with the rapid expansion of the UPSL and the brand new OVPL, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more amatuer sides pop up in Ohio, ready to participate.

The structure of the tournament is in two parts, with a round robin style first round. The second round will take the top six clubs and seed them into a knockout style tournament. The final two clubs standing will play for the Cup in a championship match. The excitement for the competition is already building. “We are extremely excited for the cup to kick off,” said Braden Mast, Director of Operations for Amish Country United. “After a long time talking about the prospect of an amateur Ohio cup, it’s cool that these teams just went ahead with it and are starting it. We’re pumped to play the best teams in the area and it should be a real competitive tournament with great exposure for all teams included.” Club Toledo owner, Jake Mercer, spoke in equally glowing terms, saying the tournament had the potential to be “essentially the Ohio equivalent of the Michigan Milk Cup.”

It’s exciting to see clubs from multiple leagues, often competing for the same fans across the state, working together to grow the game in their home state. The Ohio Heart Cup will be a great opportunity for these amatuer sides to face competition and sharpen their talent. And while the announcement caught many by surprise, the ball has been rolling for some time. The competition has been in the works since spring of last year, according to Seibert, and after the 2019 season, they decided to finalize plans for this year. Once the schedule is announced, we’ll make sure to share that with our readers. 

Fort Wayne FC Prepares for First NPSL Season

If you’re new to the Indiana Soccer Scene, the Hoosier State has seen quite a bit of transition in the fall and winter of 2019. And as 2020 officially kicks off the next decade, growth at the lower tiers of the US Soccer “pyramid” has been relatively rampant. With three (3) leagues represented for new teams (announced as of January 5th), there are plenty of clubs / teams throwing their hat into the ring. One of the newcomers is Fort Wayne FC, set to kick off their inaugural season in the NPSL later this year. In an effort to build a competitive roster from scratch, Fort Wayne FC hosted its first ever open tryouts on January 2nd, 2020 at the Plex in Fort Wayne. 

The tryouts were structured into two unique two-hour blocks for players aspiring to compete at an NPSL-level of play. With additional tryouts scheduled later in the winter and spring, as well as a new coaching staff that is still coming together in the off-season targeting their player pools and networks, Fort Wayne’s first event saw just over 100 players make an attempt to impress the staff. 

Fort Wayne FC joins South Bend Lions, Indy Saints FC and FC Pride as new men’s side entries into the competitive landscape in 2020 out of the Hoosier State. Below is a run down of the tryouts for club from the eye of a former non-league club guy…

Around 55 players attended the 2:00 pm tryout session. Fort Wayne FC had “staff” members coordinating warm up and small-sided game sessions. It appears as though the club has done a tremendous job in developing relationships with the local youth clubs to get coaching staff volunteers to support their efforts. Nine goalkeepers were being put through their paces in the middle of the Plex’s pitch, while simultaneously four small-sided 4v4 to 5v5 matches were played. 

Once warmed up and loose, the players moved into 9v9 side-by-side matches. Away from the pitch, in talking with Fort Wayne FC’s President (and Co-Owner) Erik Magner, there were several media engagements to perform throughout the day. In addition to interviews, Magner helped facilitate media coverage of the tryout itself. With a viewing platform above the field, along with field access, there were plenty of decent camera views to grab footage. A quick note about the Plex – great facility for this type of event, and training for a club at this level. Fort Wayne FC managed credentials and had several volunteer staff (and all front office) members ensuring the event was closed to the public. Through connections I’ve made with the club first with Old Bhoys Soccer Club, and now through Hoosier Soccer Corner, I was able to coordinate with the club to grab a credential and watch both sessions. Inside the Plex, the club has branded extremely well, and was prepared for the visibility this tryout offered. Look for more high-profile coverage and news in the coming month(s) from this side. 

Back to the pitch…

As the 9v9 sessions wound down, there were only 2-3 players that showed sufficient potential in my opinion to be truly considered for an NPSL-quality side. These players that warranted further evaluation stuck around for the 4:00 pm session. The overall quality of the early 9v9 session was not of the highest quality, but the coaching staff were able to identify players that may help round out a roster or possibly look at a reserve-type of squad approach. With more Hoosier-state clubs, and entrants int eh OVPL, MWPL, etc., there may be opportunities for a deeper roster to stay match-fit should the reserves be needed down the stretch for NPSL. Additionally, the club hasn’t confirmed their cup competition intent yet – but look for that to potentially include Amateur Cup or Open Cup ambitions. 

As the 4:00 session kicked off, there were far fewer goalkeepers (five?) and a total number of around 50. As mentioned above, a handful of players remained from the 2:00 session to compete. The quality of play in the second group was noticeably higher overall; however, still noticed some deficient play and inability to connect that won’t be tolerated at the NPSL level. This session started right into 9v9s, and eventually morphed into a full-sided 11v11 matchup, rotating players in considerably throughout the timeslot. The second group was more tightly coordinated; and the flow between sessions or groups of players was much smoother than the first session. Several players showed nerves throughout the session. After the 11v11, the coaching staff pulled the trialists together for a summary and breakdown of the day – much like after the 2:00pm session. Following film review and coaching meetings, Fort Wayne FC has decisions to make as well as a second round of tryouts in February to continue to unearth players to help field a competitive side this season. 

Ultimately, these tryouts provide an ideal opportunity for the club to evaluate any talent they may want to invite back and build dialogue with over time. Roster size and overall goal / vision of competitions continues to evolve; the club has ambitious management. NPSL league play is the first priority here; but also building depth and consistency with a high level of training. 

From an event point of view, Fort Wayne FC represented themselves well to the players – it felt more big time than Old Bhoys SC events I’ve run…

That said, there are plenty of opportunities for the club to improve upon. There is plenty of time ahead of the first friendly, which is still TBD. Should make for an exciting soccer season in the Fort. If you’re a fan of this level of soccer, get involved with the Three Rivers Regiment – the local supporter group. Should be a good time at FWFC home matches!

- Andy Hayes

Club of the Year Nominee: Minneapolis City SC

Sometimes we take things for granted. Not because they aren’t important, but because they become such a part of our everyday routine that they blend into the background: your favorite pair of shoes, the pillow that you’ve used enough to fit perfectly to your head, the handle of your front door. The things that just fit. The things that work. They are the things that make life normal when things are great, and make life bearable when things are falling apart. We rely on these things to the point that we ignore their craftsmanship, excellence, and perfection. Why? Because we see it every day, like a security guard standing next to a Van Gogh, it loses its meaning. But every once in a while, maybe we should stop and admire the beauty of that thing we take for granted.

If you open the back of a 19th century watch, you can watch the tiny gears click back and forth, the interlocking switches and pulls, the mechanism that tirelessly pulls the hands around the dial, doing its job without complaint or protest. The machine works not because it was easy to construct, though it might lead an uninformed person to think that. It’s actually the opposite, it takes hours of planning, years of practice, and centuries of accumulated knowledge to construct that tiny watch you hold in your hand. Nothing you hold was done by accident, it took trial and error to eliminate any needless movement that might throw things out of balance. Without previous models you couldn’t hold a piece of functional perfection. And of course it’s easy to take it all for granted, because the past fades in memory till we forget it ever was different than it is now. But there was once a time when people looked into the sky and tried to guess how much daylight was left.

The reality is that great clubs require a tremendous amount of effort to exist and then, to overcome the real hurdle, keep existing. We can take it for granted, but the heavy lifting must continue under the surface for the club to maintain their social media, to compete this season, and to be back next season. That effort should be recognized and no club embodies this effort more than Minneapolis City SC.

The list of accomplishments for MPLS City this year is ridiculous: opened a physical club shop, revealed some of the hottest kits in grassroots soccer, clinched their second straight conference title, won a playoff match, had street artists Kamp Seedorf (Amsterdam) create team murals (and a slick one of Prince, as well) all over the city, announced the creation of UPSL side to foster the development of their youth players, maintained one of the best social media presences in the game, released complete financials to allow clubs to mirror their success, this list is insane. But when I asked Dan Hoedeman, club co-founder, what he was most proud of this year, this was his response:

“I take the most pride in the response when Isaac "Goose" Friendt was injured playing in a game for DePaul University this fall and then, due to complications with his surgery, he almost lost his leg. It is terrible what happened. But when we found out, we rallied (with the soccer community across the country) to help raise money for his family. He's been involved with the club in a staff role. The players, volunteers, and everyone closed ranks--as they should have. And he is fighting every day, re-learning to walk, getting mobility in his leg again. He was a fantastic player. Probably our first fan favorite. I'm proud that he's a Crow and hope that if I ever face the adversity that he has and is facing that I will respond the same way, with his strength--and that I will have people around me who close ranks around me the same way, too.” That is the sort of person Dan is and it’s the kind of thing that makes MPLS City such a great club. The fundraiser is still ongoing.

The ties between the club and the city are so strong because of a particular and unique approach taken in staffing the team. “We set out to start a community soccer club. As former players, we saw the soccer scene from that perspective and we saw a huge issue facing American, and especially Minnesotan, players (because of no Division 1 soccer program here, for example): very limited chances as you got older to play in a high-performance environment. Creating a high-performance environment for local kids is something we set out to do. So if, like NAIA and NCAA (and other top NPSL and USL2) teams are now doing, we instead brought in a bunch of academy rejects from Europe and South America then we wouldn't be fulfilling our mission. Potential wins aren't worth abandoning the chance to do something meaningful. Personally, I am completely baffled by the idea of a community team that doesn't include its own community.” In true Dan fashion, he offered a caveat, to be sure no one misunderstood. “In this politically charged climate, I like to make explicit that by "local kid" we merely mean someone who is here in Minnesota without us recruiting them here (and housing or otherwise financially supporting them being here). Doesn't matter when, how, or why you got here as long as the why isn't ‘just to play for Mpls City.’ We love when people move here--half of our founding group are transplants--and we want to be suitably open while also serving the community.”

I won’t lie, when I read the way Dan talks about his club, I think they deserve your vote. There’s something to be said for a club that focuses on taking care of its own community, that strives to embrace the changes of the world without compromising its beliefs, that never takes its attention from the players it develops. That’s the approach MPLS City has taken and whether you take them for granted or not, they will be there next season because of all the moving parts, pulling together to complete the task at hand.

“I think the fact that we have a mission beyond wins and losses matters. We are here to do something good--for local players and to help the community. That is where the value really is. So when I see a former player launch his post-soccer career and know it was helped by the network he got from Mpls City and know that someone in the club was a reference, an example I use because it just happened, that is really meaningful to me and to the volunteer crew. Nobody is in this for the money. Nobody makes any money, we're all-volunteer. We do it for the mission and that keep us going.’

‘Also, and this matters too, we're super ridiculous and it's a lot of fun. It has to be fun.” 

Vote for MPLS City because we shouldn’t ignore something just because it works like clockwork. 

- Dan Vaughn

Laredo Heat Expand to UPSL

Last week, NPSL’s Laredo Heat announced they would be creating a UPSL side to allow developing talent more opportunity for playing time. In the press release, Matt Kahla, UPSL national director, saw the move as a net positive, “Laredo Heat is expanding operations and looking to the UPSL as part of their plan. That's a tremendous vote of confidence for the UPSL, and we are definitely looking forward to Laredo Heat SC's contributions moving forward." The move by an NPSL side to create an incubator club in the UPSL has been a recent trend so I reached out to J.J. Vela, Laredo Heat GM, to learn more about the move and how he sees the relationship between the two big national amateur leagues.

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JJ Vela

Some fans see UPSL and NPSL as competitors, how do you see that relationship?

The fans are right and I see the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL as competitors in the general scheme of the U.S. soccer landscape; however, each league serves a different type of "clientele". We were members of the former USL2 (the PDL) for many years and now have competed in the NPSL for two seasons and this coming 2020 Spring and Fall Season, we will have a team in the UPSL which we have named the Heat 2 since we will still compete in the NPSL during the 2020 Summer Season as the Laredo Heat SC, the team that has been competing since 2004 (except for the two year hiatus in 2016/2017). The relationship between the leagues is cordial and professional, in my experience, all three leagues function within their respective markets (even if there are teams from the different league within the market) and it's really up to each club to market itself to the community and most importantly, what type of team each one wants to showcase on the pitch. We would be lying to ourselves if we did not acknowledge that within each league, there are teams that are run very, very professionally and compete year in and year out for league championships while others are managed with minimum budgets and do only what is expected in terms of minimum standards on game days, on and off the field.

What is the talent differential between the two leagues in your opinion?

Again, not only the difference between the NPSL and UPSL but between the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL. Each league, by virtue of where their member club is located, the type of player they recruit and the level of professionalism they bring to their community (at the end of the day, we are all amateur clubs) can have very competitive and talented players. In previous years, due to the U.S. Open Cup Tournament, we have seen teams from the amateur levels of U.S. Soccer not only compete but thrive versus teams from our Tier Two (USL Championship) and Tier Three (USL League One and NISA) professional leagues so the player talent is there in all three leagues, the only difference in the "talent level" between the league's has to do with what I mentioned above, where the club is located and the player they recruit to play during their respective seasons (NPSL & USL2, summer only as you know).

Long-term, do you see the UPSL and NPSL creating a formal agreement?

I do not, each league serves a different type of soccer "client / investor". The league fees vary so much between the three leagues that a team like the Florida Soccer Soldiers (UPSL) who had a great U.S. Open Cup last year would see no reason to join the NPSL or USL2 for the same type of access to competition. For us as an organization, as an example, we left the PDL (USL2) after the 2015 season because there were only four teams in the division for three years (2013, 2014, 2015) and travel just got too expensive, not to mention, not enough teams to market a season to fans and sponsors. In 2018 when we returned to play, we went with the NPSL because of the # of teams in the conference and the conference was much more regionalized though the USL2 has gotten better traction in the State of Texas.

Will talent move between the two sides?

In terms of talent, it has and will continue to move between the different teams in the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL since none of us nor the players really have any type of contractual obligation to each other (being amateur teams). In the two years that we have played in the NPSL, we have registered players with experience in the USL2 and UPSL, some even as far away as California and New York...they were just college players looking for the best option to play summer soccer to showcase their talent. In addition, we (the Laredo Heat SC) feel we are an excellent option for college players looking to play in a professional setting during the summer months and with our relationship / affiliation with FC Helsingor from Denmark, many players with no college eligibility left can also benefit playing for our NPSL side.

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What is clear to us is that there is an unspoken hierarchy in the grassroots game, regardless of what league officials might say. That hierarchy (which may not be entirely based on fact, but certainly lives in perception) of amateur leagues (and the clubs that fill them) goes something like: city league<regional league<UPSL<NPSL<USL2. One big question mark currently is where a league like Gulf Coast Premier League (and it’s soon to come expansion Mountain Premier League) fits into this hierarchy. The GCPL lost four clubs to the NPSL in this year’s offseason, so it’s safe to assume those clubs saw the jump to the NPSL as an upgrade (which may or may not be true). Also note, NISA wasn’t mentioned because it’s not an amateur league.

One of the big complaints often thrown at the U.S. Soccer Federation is the lack of organization and tier designation. That complaint is vital to the landscape, because if USSF doesn’t do their job, public perception will make the decision for them (maybe that’s what they want?). And public perception is a terrible measuring stick for the quality of a league. It’s too easily swayed by PR and flashy presentations. It’s also easily pushed one way or another by big money investors who see potential to throw cash at dominating markets. That was true during the NASL/MLS battle and it’s happening again in the grassroots level. Perception is becoming reality.

It’s fantastic to see NPSL sides expanding operations to grow talent and it’s clear Laredo has a plan to develop their player pool. While that will pay off for Laredo’s players, the bigger questions are still unanswered about league superiority and hierarchy. Until the Federation sorts things out, we’re left to guess and assume. That guesswork may not yield the best results for the parties involved.

- Dan Vaughn

World Class Premier No More

It's been a while since I wrote something substantive on a club. But when I saw that World Class Premier was rebranding to Maryland Bobcats FC, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to get back in the swing of things. I got in contact with the club and was able to get a quick interview done with Communications Director Evan Raimist. Without further ado, here is your Maryland Bobcats.

What exactly led to the rebrand?

The name change comes at a time when there are some big changes in the club, including joining the NPSL, and the ownership wanted to complete this before fans got too entrenched. This helps our future project and helps us start to achieve our goal of representing the whole state and maybe one day bringing a pro team to Maryland. We don't want to be seen as one location, but representatives of the whole state to come together and get behind one project.

How long had this been in the process?

This process has been about a year in the making with it really heating up the last 4-6 months. It isn't a quick process and we wanted to make sure that the transition went as smoothly as possible and that we had everything we needed in place before we announced it.

Why did you choose Bobcats as the mascot?

The new team colors are a tribute to the school where most of the owners met (University of Maryland, Baltimore County or UMBC). By giving the team the gold and black color scheme is their way of paying respect to the school that made them where they are now. The ownership group goes by "The Bobcat Group" so incorporating that into the team identify is important. They had a dream together and have started this project together, so it’s only fitting that the team name incorporate the group that had a dream together and wanted to build something bigger than one individual person.

As a fan, I’m always on the lookout for unique kits and team gear, so this will be a two parter. First, what kit supplier are you guys going with? And will there be gear that fans can potentially buy?

We are working on finishing up designs, but we will have new kits for both our NPSL and UPSL teams next season. Again, we are working through the final details, but it looks like we will be going with Icarus for our kits. We love the work they've been doing and they have been great to work through the designs with. The jerseys will obviously include the new team colors and will be available for purchase. We also are working on getting new scarves that will be available for purchase. As we get closer to the seasons in 2020, we will be adding more gear to our online shop at our new website.

Are there future aspirations of possibly jumping to a pro league?

I think that that is ultimately the goal, yes. We all know the state of professional soccer in the US right now and that it's a bit segregated and disjointed. For now, we are focusing on where we are at. Joining the NPSL is the next big step for us and we are focused on building a competitive squad to kick off in 2020. We always have high aspirating for ourselves, so years down the line becoming a fully professional club is not out of the questions.

Lastly, what can we expect from the team after the rebrand?

You can expect the same high standards that we hold ourselves to as well as continued work in our community. We hope to unite the state of Maryland behind one team and be a club, team, and organization that the community can be proud of. We have already taken a big step with a new website that will be a one-stop shop for all things Maryland Bobcats FC. We are still the same team, same players, and same people behind the scenes with big ambitions, we just have a new name. We're looking forward to finishing this Fall season strong and hoping to have a successful 2020.

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I have to thank Evan for the opportunity to cover the rebrand and I look forward to seeing what the club can do in the upcoming NPSL and UPSL seasons.

- Shawn Laird

NPSL Absorbs Four GCPL Clubs

In a move that should surprise no one paying attention, four GCPL clubs have decided to join the NPSL. AFC Mobile, Pensacola FC, Port City FC, and Tallahassee FC are joining New Orleans Jesters (who were dormant last season) and Jacksonville Armada FC to create the Gulf Coast Conference. This is par for the course in lower league soccer, but the amount of movement this off-season has been at another level.

According to a GCPL source, all four former clubs have discussed continuing involvement with the league, though no clubs have confirmed this at this time. The league was approached to comment on the clubs’ move to the NPSL but declined to comment.

Where this leaves the GCPL depends on whether the clubs continue to operate in the league and, if they do, at what level will those clubs be able to compete? The NPSL certainly benefits from a developing regional league, by adding four of their sides, and with the departure of so many strong clubs to NISA and USL League 2, this move could have been predicted. It would be fun to editorialize about the ethicality of leagues grabbing clubs from one league or the next, but everyone has dirty hands in this game, so we’ll pass.

The only remaining bit is whether or not league expansion fees were waived for these clubs to enter the NPSL. The league refused to comment when asked about this previously, even refusing to answer who would have the power to waive those fees. For existing members, this question might be of interest, as their own stock could be being diluted in a league move to save face.

If you know something and want to talk ON THE RECORD, we’d love to hear from you. Seems the cat has many tongues at this moment.

- Dan Vaughn

Notice: The NPSL is a media partner with Protagonist Soccer.

Asheville City's Departure for USL

Asheville City Soccer Club’s men’s team will jump from the independent NPSL’s Southeast Conference to USL League Two for the upcoming 2020 season.

ACSC had competed in the NPSL since 2017, the same year its men’s team started competing. The Club made the leap to USL2 due to the high turnover the Southeast Conference has been experiencing over the last three years, according to team president Ryan Kelley. Now, the team will form a part of the USL2’s large group of North Carolina-based clubs, which already includes two U-23 squads and independent teams Wake FC and Tobacco Road FC. It figures to begin play in the same division as those sides: the South Atlantic. ACSC joins AFC Ann Arbor as the second team to bounce from the NPSL to USL2 this summer.

“We were really pleased with the transition to USL. League leadership made themselves readily available and never shied away from answering our questions, which were extensive,” Kelley told Protagonist. “We were deliberate with the process to ensure that that league would provide the best fit for us moving forward.”

ACSC was founded in 2016 when Kelley and five of his childhood friends, Allen Bradley, Andrew Hunter, Jordan Vance, Jimmy Wheeler and Josh Yoakum, noticed that Asheville was missing a local soccer club that citizens would be sure to rally around. Starting with a men’s team in 2017 playing in the city’s famous Memorial Stadium, the club has since expanded to field a women’s team, led by Meghann Burke, Stacey Enos, and Lydia Vandenbergh, in the WPSL. The teams enjoy strong support from the South Side Blues, the local supporter’s group, and from the city on a whole.

“Asheville City has been a beacon for how the game can grow in cities with tremendous civic pride,” said Joel Nash, Vice President of USL League Two, in a press release announcing the arrival of ACSC. “We look forward to supporting and celebrating this club as it continues to reach new heights.”

Asheville City also already has a number of former players plying their trade in the USL, including USL League One finalists Greenville Triumph SC’s Dominic Boland and Cameron Saul and former Lansing Ignite forward Elma N’for.

Kelley was largely grateful for the support of the NPSL over the last three years. ACSC leadership specifically noted that the league offered a platform of relationship-building and learning. Many of the concepts that ACSC runs on to this day were formed by examining best practices at other NPSL clubs.

However, it was not all smooth sailing. In the NPSL, member clubs are tasked with making relevant decisions for the league as a whole. According to Kelley, this system was too slow-moving and challenging to move forward on league-wide policy. Furthermore, the league faces a lot of turnover year-to-year, especially in the Southeast. For ACSC, such turnover on the men’s side threatened the club’s stability on a whole, including its women’s team, academy and Just Play initiative.

So far, the Club has enjoyed the resources that the USL has made available to them. As a growing team with limited resources they have utilized the marketing and communications resources that have been made available through the league. In addition, ACSC is looking forward to opportunities to network with other clubs in higher divisions within the same structure that the USL offers to its member sides.

The Blues are fully aware of the challenge that the new league will pose on the field, however.

“As far as challenges, I think it is fair to say that the level of play will be generally higher in League Two and that we will need to elevate our game to compete for a championship, but I’m confident that we have the right people in the right positions to accomplish that goal,” said Kelley with regards to the new opposition.

Overall, the move to USL2 has been met with excitement and positive feedback from community stakeholders, even local media covered the move between competitions. According to Kelley, fans are hyped to higher quality regional rivalries and the players and coaches are relishing the opportunities that come with playing under brighter lights with connections to larger clubs.

- Jose Davila IV

A SoCal Friendly: NISA vs. NPSL

Southern California side Temecula FC of the NPSL, considered to be in what most agree is the 4th tier of US Soccer, are taking on brand new SoCal club 1904 FC from NISA - a league who, just this year, was granted 3rd division status by US Soccer. In other parts of the world, a non-competitive match on the fixture list might go unnoticed, but it's mostly out of place in the modern day US Soccer scene. Under normal circumstances, these two clubs would only face each other in a potential US Open Cup regional match-up. The Quails and 1904 FC kick off at Chaparral High School in Temecula, California at 6:00 pm on Saturday, October 26th. Our curiosity was piqued, so we reached out to the owner and co-founder Brandon Jantz to find out more about the culture of the club, how this match fit into that, and just what it means to them.

After returning to the United States from playing and coaching in England, Brandon was more than uninspired by the state of soccer here, "I was falling out of love with soccer. Being back here in Temecula and seeing how making money off the kids was really what all the clubs were about. Even the recreational programs were the same way, worried about losing customers." The way youth soccer is run in this country is a huge sore point for many; a lot of fingers point to the pay-to-play system as out of touch with the socio-economic needs of most of the kids and families who love the sport. So, not only was Brandon dealing with the disappointing state of the sport in this country, but he and his wife were dealing with the painful loss of her younger brother as well.

“My brother-in-law was such a great kid and was all about helping people and making this world a better, safer place.” So Brandon, with the support of his wife, decided to start the club - he reached out to ex-teammate and good friend, Vince Paccione, to found Temecula FC. Motivated by his brother-in-law's joy for life and armed with the mission to "Grow a football culture in our community and provide professional coaching and opportunities for the lowest price possible," Brandon convinced Vince to split the cost of joining NPSL, which was relatively costly even back in 2013-14. "A football club can be a great place for people to make friends and support their community," said Brandon - so he and Vince decided to use the passion of soccer and community to combat the toxicity of the youth sports hustle.

Six seasons later and Temecula FC are still going strong, having finished their 2019 season in early summer, they seemed all but done playing for the calendar year. The Quails aren't part of NPSL's inaugural Members Cup and they’re not participating in the US Open Cup qualifying rounds. Also, considering a good majority of clubs at this level pull their squads together from college student-athletes, how were they fielding an 18? "We have never been a club that relies on college players. We have a few from time to time but we have a much more European approach and look to use our top youth players ages 15 and up to try and fill out our team, " said Brandon. It turns out, this squad of local talent are in the middle of their Riverside Cup - where they're topping the table over heated rival Riverside Coras. According to Brandon "The Cup means everything to the club and supporters. You just have to go on twitter to see how much the rivalry between Riverside and Temecula is! Hate is a very strong word so id say very strong dislike of Coras, but we both respect each other on and off the pitch and want to see the game grow in our respective communities."

So Brandon and Head Coach Austin Levins have already got this club's squad in shape for a match - practically mid-season form and with players drawn from their youth ranks who are already used to playing all year round - especially in that fairly comfortable year-round Southern California climate. Of course there's a friendly scheduled, but how did it come about? "Well we have a former player from last season Brent Reis who plays for 1904 FC now and I know Khoki from a few years ago who is the GM and I reached out through Brent to see if they could give us a match so we could try and raise some money to help support our club and funding our program," he said "1904 FC has been great in helping set up the match and we can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to showcase our players."

Brandon does admit that this is a bit out of the norm, "for our community I think it is historical really. No one of 1904 FC’s level has come to play in Temecula and it’s a great opportunity for the youth in our community to see this level of play in their own city." Through hosting the friendly, the club adheres to its principals to use soccer to build relationships and inspire the youth to pursue greatness. "The importance in youth development to watch professional level matches in priceless and it’s great that our youth club are connected with the first team and can be involved on match day with the players and get a real feel of what it is like being in a club in Europe where you have a direct path to the top."

To learn more about Temecula FC

To learn more about San Diego 1904 FC