Now entering its third year of existence, Atlantic City FC looks to further establish a presence in a market that can be challenging. Club president Andrew Weilgus talks about this past season and the future of the NPSL club.

Other than the improvement in the team's performance on the pitch from 2018 (5-5-0, 15 goals scored) to 2019 (7-2-1, 33 goals scored), what would you consider to be the biggest changes from the club's first year to the second year?

Clubs grow every year but the difference between Year One and Year Two for our club was monumental. The entire off-season cycle from recruiting to sponsorship comes into focus so we were able to better prepare for the season.

Which players for your club made the most impact in 2019?

We had a lot of contributors and rarely fielded the same 11 from game to game. There were a great number of contributors from Jacques Francois to Joao Brum and Alex Satrestegui. Sebastian Cappozucchi was also outstanding as were a great number of other players. Walter Calderon was tremendous for us in the games he played as was Ryan Bailey and Marcello Borges. Returning players like Rich Balchan, Noah Blodget, Matt Perrella and Nick Hanuscin also played roles. There were a great number of players from the Jackson Lions organization like Matt Jeffery and Dan Pizzimenti; Charlie Cunliffe, David Nigro and Ryan Nigro were also major contributors. Coaches Brad Fraley and Mike Durrazo were also vital.

After two seasons, which teams in your division would you consider to be you biggest rivalries?

We have several: West Chester United, FC Motown and FC Monmouth stand out.

The team has played at Stockton University and Egg Harbor Township High School. There was talk about working with the city to play this year at Surf Stadium. So where will Atlantic City FC be playing in 2020? We hope to announce that soon.

This past season Atlantic City FC had an exhibition match with the Ocean City Nor'easters from USL League 2. Do you see this happening on a regular basis?

Yes, but because of our condensed season we were not able to field our starters against them so in the future we hope to schedule it during a more flexible time.

As a follow-up to the previous question, would you like to see the NPSL take steps to work more closely with other leagues? Or do you think the NPSL is best served by working independently?

Yes, we love competition and only look at teams not leagues.

We have seen NPSL teams taking the plunge and going professional. Is this something that Atlantic City FC sees as an option in the future?

The issue is budget. A ‘pro’ team has a low-end budget of $700,000. A low-end NPSL team has a budget of $50,000. It is a significant jump that most teams can’t handle. We are too young and this market is far too new to warrant “rushing” into a pro division. The NPSL offers a strong national league with top-level competition so we are happy there but respect all other leagues and their teams.

If there is one community outreach program that you are most proud of, what would that be?

We are working hard on field availability in Atlantic City and participated in several area school field days as well as the AtlantiCare summer lunch program. Our sponsor Tropicana was also involved in several initiatives that players participated in.

What should fans expect for Year 3?

A very competitive team that will be all around Atlantic City helping to build a community that is exploding with potential.