"The Referee was Punched in the Face."

The story broke from a tweet by Carlos Alfaro Rodriguez (@carlosalfarorod) who was there covering the match for the Montgomery County Sentinel. Carlos had been live tweeting the UPSL National Quarterfinal between World Class Premier vs. Mass United FC when he posted this: “Update: the referee was punched in the face. It looks like the game is over.” Not a phrase read too often about a soccer match, but for a league that has had some crazy finishes, this was easily the craziest.

The match took place at Montgomery Blair High School, in Silver Spring, Maryland, this afternoon. The scoring in the first half began with Marco Martinez scoring for Mass United FC in the 34th minute. In the 37th minute, Olakunle Banjo equalized by scoring a penalty for World Class Premier after a yellow card for MUFC’s Reda Mokhtari. With the teams knotted up, it looked like the half would end and the clubs would regroup and ready for another 45. According to Evan Raimist, the PR/Communications Director for World Class Premier, this is when things got wild.

“At the stroke of halftime, the ref blew the whistle for halftime and look like one of their players got mad that the ref stopped what he viewed as a counter attack. The ref issued him a yellow (his second). A member of their bench (staff, not player) ran onto the field and then bumped into/punched the ref in the face as the other players were yelling.” With chaos breaking out on the field, the match was called and the police were called to sort out what happened. “The league made the ultimate decision to call the game and have Mass United forfeit. The ref crew called the police who responded, but the decision was left up to the UPSL and they decided a Mass United forfeit was warranted.”

The “member of the bench” mentioned by Raimist was apparently a parent of one of the MUFC players. According to a source with Mass United, it was “a parent of one of the players after a straight red card at the end of the first half.” Everything was still fluid when the clubs were contacted, and whether it was a second yellow or a straight red, that doesn’t really change the result.

For their parts, neither club is happy with the resulting forfeit for MUFC. A spokesperson for MUFC - “All of the players and head coach are extremely disappointed after sacrifices they have all made all year and an inexcusable incident destroyed a very competitive match…We cannot accept poor behavior by anyone that is on the sidelines. Much disappointment for sure for everyone involved. We apologize to all those involved.”

While WCP is thrilled with advancing, Raimist expressed disappointment in the way things ended. “We are happy that we get to go through, but definitely would have rather the players decide the match on the field. It was shaping up to be a good game and the 2nd half looked like it would be some exciting soccer. It’s disappointing the players didn’t get to decide the outcome, but we are looking forward to continuing to work hard and keep this season going.”

World Class Premier celebrate a well-deserved win. (image courtesy of WCP social media)

A league affiliated twitter account responded on social media, “Charges will be pressed we protect our referees across the country.” Whether this is the “official response” of the league, that can’t be verified. Our contact with the UPSL was reach out to, but so far no response has been received. If the league contacts us, we’ll their response to the story.

For the record, we also reached out to the author of the original tweet, to get his perspective, but haven’t heard back. His tweet reflects the importance of citizens/reporters willing to post to their social media about matches not being covered by most media outlets. We appreciate all of you out there and especially Carlos today. Keep up the great work.

End result, World Class Premier advance in the UPSL playoffs and continue a run of dominant play. Mass United’s run ends, but a club shouldn’t be judged by the unhinged actions of a single person.

- Dan Vaughn

Maryland Majors Week 8 Recap

Top Matches of Week 8

Division 1: There was no one match that stood out but the over all weekend was full of drama for division one. Both bottom teams faced off and Academy FC came out with all three points. Christos and Steel Pulse keep high flighting forms.

Division 2: Colombia FC vs Dream Team FC: The 9-goal thriller! This was a match I highlighted on last week’s preview, and did it deliver! These two high possession teams found plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net.

Week 8 Results

Division 1

Christos FC 3 – 0 All Stars United

Academy FC 1 – 0 Columbia FC

Steel Pulse FC 4 – 0 La Dolce Vita

World Class Premier 2 – 0 Maryland International

Division 2

North

Baltimore Kickers 5 – 0 Blue Side FC

JA Raiders FC 1 – 0 Robbie’s FC

AFC Dobes 3 – 1 IFK Maryland

South

Colombia FC 5 – 4 Dream Team FC

Motorik FC ALX 1 – 0 Limitless FC

Meade United 2 – 2 Rockville SC

Effect on the tables:

D1 Group A: No Movement, defending champions still lead the pack.

D1 Group B: Christos FC continue with their undefeated run, WCP back in second. That leaves La Dolce Vita and Columbia FC in 3rd and 4th respectively.

D2 North: The Kickers keep form and stay in 1st place. With the results, no changes to the table, aside from JA Raiders taking 3rd and Blue Side dropping to 4th.

D2 South: The three-horse race sees some changes again. Motorik is now on top, for the first time this season. Colombia having played one game more, with a tie giving them 2nd place, leaving Dream Team in 3rd with one game more to be played. The rest of the table, with no movement.

Division 1 Standings

Group A

1.Steel Pulse FC 4-0-3

2.All Stars United 3-2-3

3.MD Inter 2-4-2

4.Academy FC 2-5-1

Group B

Christos FC 6-0-0

World Class 3-3-1

La Dolce Vita 3-5-0

Columbia FC 1-5-2

Division 2 Standings

North

Kickers 6-0-2

AFC Dobes 4-0-4

JA Raiders 4-2-2

Blue Side FC 4-4-0

IFK Maryland 2-6-0

Robbie’s FC 0-8-0

South

Motorik FC 5-3-0

Colombia FC 4-3-1

Dream Team 4-3-0

Meade United 2-2-4

Rockville SC 2-2-3

Limitless FC 1-5-2

-Geovanny Monterroso

Head over to league website to learn more: https://marylandmajorsoccer.com

Play the Right Way: World Class Premier's move to the NPSL

“Play The Right Way” are the words for which World Class Premier was born from and lives by. We all know the story of how the club was formed; if you don’t, make sure you check out the Spotlight on the club that ran on April 29, 2019. But this story is less about where there club has been but instead on where the club is going.

On September 26, World Class Premier announced that the club would be joining the National Premier Soccer League for the 2020 season. This is a huge step in the club’s journey, especially if you consider that they only just joined United Premier Soccer League earlier this year. After a full Spring and Fall Season in the UPSL, World Class Premier considers their club ready for the next step and I, for one, applaud the move.

Conversation with World Class Premier

I got a chance to speak with Babajide (Jide) Saba, one of the owners of World Class Premier, and he had a lot to share about this move. Let’s start with the basics: he was super excited with what the future holds for the Club.

What inspired the move to the NPSL?

“The NPSL has always been a goal of ours. The move opens many doors for the club and shows just how much we have grown. To most people this is just a move, but to us and the communities that support us, this is 10 years in the making. But not only that, this always has been for the players, this provides the players with top level competition and more exposure for their playing career.”

Does that mean you will be playing the spring and fall or just the summer?

“For the 2020 year we will only be playing summer, but with the goal to eventually play all year round. Now, if this will be for the year 2021 or later, we will have to see.”

How has the reaction from the community been? How do you plan to engage them to grow support?

“As you know, we have close ties to the Montgomery County Community College. Both first team’s coaches are coach soccer there. We also have established close ties with our community, especially the minorities here in our area. Being that most of our team and staff are from Africa or of African decent so these groups in our community truly hits home. But as far as how we are engaging them, we plan to host more community events and camps for our youth teams. Strengthen ties and grow future players.”

Those are all great ways to strengthen ties. Speaking of ties, what will happen with the leagues WCP have played in, will you still be playing in the Maryland Major Soccer League and the UPSL?

“The UPSL, definitely this is where the second team will be playing. This will give us a chance and a place to have some of the younger guys a chance to play and be exposed to top level competition. As far as MMSL, the only downside to this move is that this will be the last season (Fall 2019) we will be in.”

What does this mean for the leagues they are in or will be in?

First, it’s important to point out that fact that the NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference will now feature three teams from Maryland. We have yet to hear how much this will affect the season, however, on pure assumption, it will only add two games to everyone’s schedule. We will keep an eye out for schedules to see what actually happens. But what does this mean for the other two leagues, MMSL and UPSL?

The partnership with All Star United should pay off for both clubs.

As I mentioned in the conversation with Jide, UPSL will be the platform World Class Premier will use to grow future players. As far as the Majors, in the same conversation with Jide, he wanted us to be the first to announce that they will be partnering with another Maryland Major team, All Star United. WCP will step away from the Majors but will still put all their resources into helping their grassroot soccer side. The goal is to move players from regional leagues to the competitive stage of a national league. And they got their chance.

There is a lot of changing to come for the club, but the future is bright. The leadership at World Class Premier should be extremely proud of what they have done. This is a huge step for the club, now they have the eyes of the NPSL, UPSL, MMSL, and Maryland watching.

-Geovanny Monterroso

Maryland Majors Soccer League Announces Preseason Tournament

Maryland Major Soccer League is set to announce a pre-season league tournament. It will feature four MMSL teams. The confirmed teams are Columbia FC, Kickers FC, All Star United, and MD International. The winner of this tournament will earn a prize of $2,500 and the runner up will earn $1,000. The tournament is set to take place on August 24th at Latrobe Park. This will be a full day tournament from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM. It will be a great opportunity for these clubs to bring in some extra funds and a good chance for these clubs to get in some extra preparation for the fall season.

In a time where many are shifting focus to club over league, this is a league doing it the right way. This tournament is yet another example of the great work MMSL is doing to help their teams survive and find financial stability. Other leagues should pay attention to what is going on in the Maryland Majors Soccer League. There is much speculation around what the league has planned, but they all point to two things. One is the growth of the league and the other is the fortification of its clubs.

Another announcement that is going to be made is that current MMSL club, World Class Premier, is going to co-host the tournament. This is huge for the club. It shows how financially stable this club has become. 2019 has been a great year for WPS. They joined UPSL for spring 2019, then went on to win their division, but unfortunately they lost in the quarterfinals in UPSL’s National Playoff. Now they are taking all their success and giving back to both the league and state that helped them get where they are.

When speaking to WCP leadership about the tournament, they made it clear their focus was on sustaining local soccer. “We know there are some teams that need help and we will continue to be a helping hand for them. We are blessed, and we are not about just talking about building a community that is inclusive. We are all about action and we hope this is the first of many to come in the future”.

WCP is a class act and setting their own path and always living by their motto, “Play the right way”.

Worlds Collide: UPSL and NPSL

We all know that UPSL and NPSL have been at odds over the last few years concerning a variety of things. I’ve heard both sides and I’m not choosing one side or the other in this argument. However, I got an idea one night that could potentially bridge the divide that separates the two leagues. Before I go any further, I want everyone to know that I don’t think it will happen any time soon. I am merely putting forth an idea that could be run with in the future.

Now that I have the pretext out of the way, it’s time for the presentation of this idea. My idea is borderline crazy, but it makes sense. Why not have some of the more successful or stable clubs move up from UPSL to NPSL, while maintaining a reserve side in UPSL? I know this will cause some disdain on the UPSL side because it looks like I’m trying to weaken UPSL. That’s not the case at all. Rather, I am trying to strengthen both leagues by laying the groundwork to bringing promotion and relegation to the level they are at. I know that promotion and relegation are dirty little buzz words in a lot of soccer circles around the country, but my idea would strengthen both leagues, while also providing a more stable base for a future pyramid realignment.

Initially, I was going to do a national top ten of clubs that I feel could make the move and continue to be successful. Instead, I’m going to focus on one region at a time and talk about anywhere from three to five clubs that could make the jump in each region. These picks aren’t based on whether they have the money to move up and sustain themselves or whether they have the fan base to do so. It is purely based on what I’ve seen from these clubs over the last few years. Naturally, I feel that starting in the Southeast makes the most sense. I say this because I live in Florida and have better access to some of these teams compared to others, even though social media is a huge help. So, without further ado, let’s get in to my initial list.

Florida Soccer Soldiers

This seems like a darling pick and I wouldn’t disagree with people saying I’m picking the flavor of the week with this club, but there’s something about this plucky little club from Miami that piques my interest. They’ve made one hell of a run in the US Open Cup so far, knocking off last year’s NPSL champions (Miami FC) and a USL Championship team (Charlotte Independence) so far. Additionally, they are tearing up in UPSL at the moment, sporting a record of 7W-0D-1L and a goal differential of +21. While they recently were asking for donations to ensure their players had the proper footwear, I still feel like given the right circumstances, they could make noise in NPSL.

Soda City FC

While the name of the club is certainly a draw here, I feel that they’ve shown me enough over the last two UPSL seasons to warrant a move to NPSL. They seem to have a solid base of fans and have been slowly building their brand the right way. Currently, they sit atop their division at 6W-1D-1L with a +20 goal differential. Obviously they have the talent, but would it translate to the NPSL? I feel that it could. Granted, it would be tough going at first, but I wouldn’t put it past them to make some waves should they decide to make the move up.

Savannah Clovers FC

What can I say about this club that hasn’t been said before? Initially, I was skeptical about their success, but they’ve shown me they are solid with their social media accounts, even though the results this year don’t paint them in a good light. While they sit at the bottom of their UPSL division, I feel that with the right plans set in motion and the right players, they could at least make their presence known in the NPSL.

Lowcountry United FC

I hold these guys close to my heart due to them overcoming some big hurdles a few seasons ago. The guys that were in the team welcomed me in and thanked me for the coverage I provided on Twitter for their loved ones and their families. While they took a season off from UPSL and currently sit fourth in their division, what Alan has done to this point has been nothing short of amazing. This club would be a wonderful addition and could be a breath of fresh air to a division currently dominated by Chattanooga FC.

World Class Premier

While the name doesn’t exactly strike fear into opposing clubs, this club is dominating the Mid-Atlantic North Division this year. I concede that I don’t know much about this club and I’m merely basing this pick off of their record this season (9W-0D-1L), but there are some crazy names in NPSL, so why not add another?

I know a few of these picks are going to be massacred by those of you who faithfully read the articles on Protagonist but that’s okay. Next week, I will turn my attention to the Northeast, where there is a lot of competition for spots on my list. I’ll do my damnedest not to include the non-UPSL clubs in the region, just so I can keep things fair and equal. However, if this turns in to something positive and well received, then maybe I’ll take another whip around the country and go even deeper down in to the lower leagues. All I have to say is stay tuned.

- Shawn Laird