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

Casa Soccer League - For the Players, By the Players

“Philadelphia is a real hotbed for soccer. The general population is very supportive of the sport. Our league is unique and gives players of all levels a chance to play as an adult and fosters social networking as well.”

— Nolan Bair, current CASA president

Regional soccer leagues have been popping up all over in recent years. Those of us who keep a steady eye on the soccer Twitterverse get all a-tingle when a new league starts up and teases us with announcements of which teams will be joining in the upcoming days and weeks.

Meanwhile, a regional league based in Philadelphia has grown with little fanfare to become a league that as of 2019 had 300 teams and 10,000 members. This is CASA Soccer League, “the largest independent amateur soccer league” in the country, according to its website. Started in 2005 by Tom and Ariane Adams, CASA now boasts six divisions of men’s 11X11 teams, a coed league, a women’s league, 7X7 leagues, an over-30 league, and winter futsal.     

What does CASA stand for? Simple. CASA stands for casa, the Spanish word for house. It’s a moniker that carries a dual meaning. For soccer players in the Delaware Valley region, CASA means being able to play the sport they love in their own backyard. And, calling the league CASA shows that it is open to people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. “CASA was a natural name for the league, “ says Nolan Bair, current president of CASA, “meaning it was a place for both American and foreign players to call home.”

For the men’s leagues, seasons are divided into fall and spring. There are six divisions, and each division is named in Spanish (continuing the CASA theme). The league also offers a promotion and relegation system, where the top team from each lower division, along with the playoff winner of the teams that finish second through fifth, get promoted. 

The culmination of each fall and spring season is the Kelly Cup, named in honor of Shane Kelly. A former player and board member, Kelly was murdered during a failed robbery attempt in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia late one November night in 2011. The site for the Kelly Cup finals is Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, home of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. 

If there’s one team you need to know about in CASA, it’s FC Misconduct. Formed five years ago, FC Misconduct has won the Kelly Cup five times. The team name comes from its sponsor, Misconduct Tavern, located in Center City. And if there’s one player on FC Misconduct who needs to be recognized, it’s Blake Fink. Tied for the league lead in goals scored this past fall season with 23, Fink has won the league’s Golden Boot ten times. Before playing in CASA, Fink had played one year with the Ocean City Nor’easters back in 2012.

But you can’t have a league with only one notable team. Other clubs that have enjoyed success in CASA include South Philly United (winner of two Kelly Cups), Stoney United (Kelly Cup winner) and FC South House (Kelly Cup winner).

“I have not encountered a league like CASA where everyone is out to have fun, but at the same time takes games very seriously and treated like a professional league by the players.” – Nolan Bair

Nolan Bair’s journey to CASA president started in 2013 when he came to Philadelphia to attend Drexel University. He would soon be running the club soccer program at the university. But Bair’s ambition was much bigger than a college club team. In his sophomore year, he started his own club in CASA – Vidas United (now called Vidas United FC). Upon graduation from Drexel in 2018, Bair’s club would grow dramatically. In one year, Vidas United FC would consist of three teams competing in two leagues (CASA and the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania). Currently, there are 60 players that are a part of Bair’s club.   

Vidas United FC, which celebrated its five-year anniversary this January, has become Bair’s ‘life project’. His club keeps him quite busy, with games for three teams along with weekly training sessions, an active social media presence, and a soon-to-be-launched club website. Current and former players gather every year for an alumni weekend.  

And If you think that’s enough of a challenge, Bair’s ambition for his club goes further. His ultimate goal is to have his club compete in the NPSL – a goal that he believes can happen in the next five years. “I can only hope that I look back on this all in 30 years and laugh at how small of a goal NPSL is, “ says Bair, “because hopefully by then I'll have achieved even more with this club.” 

All the while, Bair continues to put work into the leadership of CASA. “On a personal level, running CASA alongside balancing the needs of growing my own club is a workload nightmare, “ says Bair, “but I'm learning to manage it and it's very rewarding to watch this grow.”

“I have huge plans for OUFC, and at the risk of setting the bar too high, I speak about them pretty openly.” – Alex Lewis, Oaklyn United FC

Even though CASA is based in Philadelphia, clubs from the other side of the Delaware River have found a home in this league. While New Jersey has a statewide amateur league, the Garden State Soccer League, most of the teams are based in the northern part of the state. For clubs in South Jersey, CASA offers a competitive league with much less travel involved.

One of these South Jersey-based clubs is Oaklyn United FC, run by Alex Lewis. At the heart of this club are a group of players who grew up together in Oaklyn and its next door neighboring town of Collingswood. These players got the soccer bug from a local rec coach from Southampton, England – the father of Lewis’ best friend growing up.

The original Oaklyn United played as an indoor team in 2008, but it wasn’t until Lewis moved to Philadelphia after a time living in New York that he discovered CASA. And after a couple years playing in the league, he decided to get the band back together (so to speak) along with some new friends he had made playing in the league. And a new Oaklyn United was born. But the old times haven’t been left behind. The team’s kit uses the same black and white colors that were worn by Lewis’ rec team as a kid.

As far as the level of play, Lewis draws comparisons between CASA and Sunday leagues in England. “You can come in and have fun, but still know that everyone else is going to be taking it as seriously as you are for 90 minutes,” says Lewis. And with a system of promotion and relegation, Lewis believes that CASA gives players who didn’t think of themselves as being top tier an opportunity to challenge themselves. 

“When Tom and Ariane Adams founded CASA nearly 15 years ago, they envisioned a league for players, by players. With that in mind, it has evolved into so much more,” – Tim Hampson, current player and former CASA president

Tim Hampson has been involved with CASA long enough to have seen significant change. He has been a player in the league for more than ten years, having been a part of South Philly United as well as Spruce Goose FC, Loose Cannons FC, Rapid Daybreak FC and FC Roxton. Off the field, Hampson has served as part of the league board for eight years, four of which serving as league president.

One of the biggest changes that Hampson has observed is the expansion of the player pool. Everyone from the soccer lover who has decided to get up from the TV screen and lace on the boots to those who have played at the higher levels of soccer in this country are finding a CASA club to call home. And when the games are over, the CASA community comes together for volunteering as well as for social events. At the end of each season, players gather to celebrate.

“What Rob has managed to build is incredible, but what’s even more incredible is how friendly to small clubs like us he’s managed to stay, even as his business takes off on the international scene.” – Alex Lewis

No story about CASA would be complete without talking about Icarus FC, the kit-making darling of lower league soccer. Icarus is the work of Rob Smukler, a CASA player who has taken his love for soccer and design to an ever-growing and adoring audience. When negotiations with Hummel broke down over this past summer, Icarus was given priority rights to all teams in CASA. “It's a match made in heaven,” says Nolan Bair, “an independent progressive soccer league partnered with a growing soccer kit manufacturer that is growing in popularity nationwide.”

For Alex Lewis, the kits produced by Icarus for the club have become one of the selling points he uses for Oaklyn United FC and for the league. “Adding aspects to OUFC that build the ‘production value’ and professionalism of the club is really important to me - however silly that might seem, says Lewis. “And I think being able to design our own custom kits and express all these different elements of our identity has been one of the biggest components of it all. This season, we made a kit release video and published it on our Instagram. The response was huge. The guys felt (and looked) like true pros.”

“You drive around Jersey on a Saturday afternoon and see field after beautiful field, completely empty. But when you try to get in touch with the school or club that owns it, they get cagey about letting anyone actually play on it. I’ll never understand it.” – Alex Lewis        

Of course, every league has its challenges. And like many soccer leagues around the country, one of the biggest struggles for CASA is being able to have soccer fields available for scheduling games. Although CASA uses several fields in and around Philadelphia, the league has a constant struggle to fit its scheduling around youth programs and other sports leagues. 

Tim Hampson has seen an improvement in this area over the years. “My first season in the league was on woeful grass fields peppered with unforgiving patches. Over the years, the league has become known for consistently hosting matches at the nicest turf and grass fields in the area.”

The challenge of having playing fields of there is one of Nolan Bair’s goals for the long-term health of the league. Ideally, his ultimate goal would be to obtain a grant that would allow CASA to build its own soccer pitches.   

“I'd like to take CASA further than ever before.” – Nolan Bair

For his club Vidas United FC, Nolan Bair has his sights set on eventually making it to the NPSL, but what does he see for the future of CASA? Expansion of the women’s league and the co-ed league for sure. Further expansion into South Jersey, including having games played on that side of the river on a regular basis. A cup tournament involving clubs of all six divisions of the men’s league. A weekly newsletter to highlight all of what is happening in all six divisions.

Bair is also looking outward. One future idea is to have CASA link up with amateur leagues in other cities. The connections would be not only to potentially have tournaments between leagues but to share ideas. Tim Hampson goes even one step further, believing that CASA could even link up with amateur leagues in Europe.

As far as being a part of the US Soccer pyramid? “CASA has been contacted a couple times by US Soccer on the possibility of a merge,” says Bair. “While it's not something I will entirely write off - given CASA's current state as a recreational league I do not see it as the best option at this time. CASA functions best as an independent, non-profit entity.”

- John Howard-Fusco

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

A Florida Soccer Proposal

When you’re the editor of a website run entirely by volunteers, focused on a subject near and dear to readers all over the country, sometimes something fun just falls into your lap. We were approached on twitter by Carlos Budyszewick (on twitter) about his idea for a state-wide Florida pyramid. How could we resist? So the following is a thought experiment by Carlos on what the “Florida Premier League” would look like. We enjoyed it very much, we hope you do too.

- Dan

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Division 1 FPL – Florida Premier League

Within the USSF 1st Division it would have to start with 12 teams and grow to at least 14 by year 3 to meet PLS which also has other requirements such as Ownership net worth, larger stadia, broadcasting and would have to play in Eastern, Central & Pacific time zones.

Not being in a USSF sanctioned leagued means that the league wouldn’t be associated with FIFA or eligible for any of its tournaments, but how much does this actually matter? The league could declare itself as a top division league that only operates out of the state of Florida.

• If Florida was a country - 16th largest economy in the world at nearly $1 trillion USD & 58th most populous at around 21.3 million.

• It is the 3rd largest state by population behind California and Texas

• Home to 52 billionaires

• There is no state level income tax.

• The state is almost entirely in 1 time zone Eastern standard, the western most part of the panhandle is Central.

• The travel for the league would be far less expensive than nationwide or coastal conferences.

• Expect mergers, corporate sponsorships and new owners.

• Florida is warm/hot year round, winters are great and the state is a desirable destination for players. Although, it does have a rainy/hurricane season, because of this a league would play from late October at the earliest to early June at the latest.

• A regional TV deal to start, you don’t have to start with trying to acquire a nationwide broadcasting deal.

• League should sell league naming rights

• The league could grow by not relegating teams out of the first division immediately.

• The league system should definitely have administrative relegation

• If the league chooses to grow rather than relegate when it hits 12 teams it should only play home and away once. 16 teams max and that’s stretching it.

  Requirements/Consideration for first season of first division

• Current fan base and a venue that can hold 1000 people to start in this division

• Have a youth academy.

• While this list does include some of the best teams in the state it also keeps in mind financial backing, fan base, and the attempts to spread the league across the state.

• It does not include MLS sides in Orlando and Miami because as interesting as that would be It’s not probable. (I mean this whole thing isn’t but you know what I mean)

• 4 of these team would also have to start paying players by the 2nd season (any amount), teams should pay their players what they can afford without pressure from the league. Players will move if they wish to potentially weakening teams paying less.

• Player contracts are necessary once in the league.

Branding

• Teams must have a unique identity - avoid copying or ownership with branding of teams abroad. They don’t have to be good as that is subjective; however, they should be original.

• These are first teams, meaning they should not have the words such as Academy or School in their name and all team including second teams should not have t “U, U-” in their name to denote age of players

2nd Division

All the USL League 2 teams are here because of their ability & experience traveling & financial backing. Their biggest challenge will be playing in a different season without the benefit of college players.

You might have noticed that Orlando went unrepresented in the 1st division; so why are Panthers in the 2nd division? Well they are able to travel statewide we know this from their time in NPSL, however they aren’t one of the stronger sides and Orlando is basically owned by the MLS side. A merger between them and Sea Wolves seems best and interesting.

An argument could be made that a few teams in this division should play in the first division however they might not have the travel experience, front office structure, or might be overshadowed by another team in their market.

Soldiers is an example of a strong enough side for 1st division overshadowed by other teams in their market and their front offices. However, they should see promotion quick. Soldiers and Miami Sun are two top teams in the UPSL who have a rivalry that can be fueled by being in the same division.

The travel required here is a huge jump for any promoted side. Soldiers and Miami Sun will be tested here.

• 500 capacity stadium to play in this division

• Ability to travel Statewide

3rd Division

Rivalries are embraced here every game is a battle between familiar faces.

2 Gulf Coast NPSL teams are here to ease travel keeping them in North and Central Florida rather than statewide, they also help prep teams for travel should they move up. They can maintain a rivalry while in the same division. Pensacola would have to adjust to losing an hour whenever they are away. Away teams luckily gain an hour and they will need it considering how far Pensacola is.

Arguments can be made that there are a few sides good enough to be in the second division; however, most of these teams are not accustomed to traveling especially out of the south group and most of them don’t try to appeal to fans meaning a lack of commercial & gameday income.

Travel in the 3rd Division should be manageable for teams moving up from the 4th division it will be more difficult for the northern teams.

When teams get relegated here the next season they will be place in either group A or B whichever makes most sense, for all intents and purposes I labeled them as North and South, but the groups aren’t necessarily constricted by North and South and teams can find themselves playing in group A one season and B another depending on the newly promoted and relegated teams.

4th Division - FML Florida Metro Leagues – The Metro Division

This is the highest division any 2nd teams can start at – which helps to add professionalism and organization to the division while also preventing teams from immediately controlling a regions player pool.

A clubs cannot operate two clubs in the same division.

Group A - is comprised of UPSL Orlando teams primarily however a fifth division could be run by CFSL who could inject teams into lower localized divisions. There could also be additions of UPSL II sides.

Atletico Orlando previously branded as Sea wolves 2 – I don’t really know what is going on here, I’d like to have put them with Tropics or in the 2nd division, but they haven’t done well outdoors. They need a rebrand. A merger with Central Florida would be interesting.

Group B - Essentially it’s the Tampa Bay area, could be run by FSSL as many teams are currently apart of this USASA league or have played there before. FSSL has lower divisions and Pro/Rel which could establish lower localized divisions.

Group C - Central Broward & Palm Beach with one 2nd team in St. Martin, primarily filled with FGCL teams it has the benefit being run by FGCL organizers Lauderdale SC. Palm Beach Breakers as a FGCL team would best fit here pre NISA, for that reason I put Gold coast here. Gold Coast being here fuels two rivalries they currently have against Himmarshee & FSI Vultures. Himmarshee & PB Breakers/Gold coast are also very active within FGCL and social media, they would do a great job at helping set an example for the division & getting exposure. The addition of Brothers strengthens the division. CASA & BASL could potential get involved in the division and creating a fifth divisions with more teams.

Group D - South Broward and Miami Dade, part UPSL II part FGCL. Miami Soccer Academy who fielded for storm fc this past season run Romero cup in Miami and does a good job filming games, they could be hugely helpful to teams in this division. Having Soldiers 2 (u23), Miami United U23 & Red Force 2 keeps things plenty competitive and strengthens the division.

Plenty of Miami leagues could get involved in a 5th division of groups that would be played at parks and act as a player pool.

Western Indoor Soccer League (WISL) Season Preview Part I: Bellingham United

The Western Indoor Soccer League (WISL) was founded in 2014 and began play that fall, with five teams: Tacoma Stars, Wenatchee Fire, Olytown Artesians, Arlington Aviators, and of course, Bellingham United. A few teams have come and gone in that time, but since the league’s founding, Bellingham United have never finished below second and have earned the three stars above their badge by winning the league back-to-back-to-back from 2015-2017. The Hammers kick off the WISL season by hosting a rematch of last year’s hotly contested semifinal against Tacoma Narrows FC. Narrows FC finished 3rd in the table but lost away to Bellingham 9:3 away at the Bellingham Sports Complex and look to put the Hammers back in the toolbox on Saturday, November 9th, 7:35 pm kickoff.

We’ve previously taken a moment to get to know more about Bellingham United’s outdoor team but to find out more about any plans the Hammers might have on exacting revenge against Tacoma Stars Reserves and winning back their title, we spoke with star forward and indoor expert Richard Henderson.

Was there a Bellingham United Indoor team prior to WISL?

Yes, they were the Rapids before that and played in Canadian league. We have always been competitive in whichever league we have played in. There has been a progression in the team from earlier days especially in the area of organization and tactics as opposed to just having good players playing indoor soccer.

Before there were the Hammers, Bellingham rocked red and fought in a Canadian indoor soccer system.

Do you largely field the same squad as the outdoor side?

There is a core group of players who play both but with the summer attracting college players from out of state and Canada who may be around for only the summer the indoor squad is more consistent year to year. The indoor team has been playing consistently with a similar squad for about 5 years. However, currently I would say we are at the biggest change as some of our veteran players are challenged with family commitments, increased responsibility at jobs etc and our younger players have gained enough experience to be ready to play.

Who should we keep an eye out for?

There are plenty of returning players, some we will talk about next but new this year who will be worth watching is Spencer Wolfe is local but just returned to the community from being on the East side of the state at Whitworth and Gonzaga respectively. Also, Christian Rotter at WWU will be joining us after the WWU season finishes and they both played outdoor this year and were effective. I hope they can learn quickly and provide some depth to the first team roster.

Richard Henderson, player-coach for the Bellingham United, circles the Hammers up for a chat

Richard Henderson, Uriel Herrera and Christian Caro all seemed essential last year, will they all be returning?

Yes, (Richard, me) I will be playing again as well as coaching and hoping to be effective on the field to help our team reach its goals. Uriel and Christian will likely be returning but both have aspirations of playing professionally which is great so if they get an offer, they may go for that. However, that is what we want at BUFC providing a platform for the best players in the area to play and learn in a highly challenging but highly supportive environment. We three provided the majority of the goals last year but the good thing they were all different kinds of goals and we are all offensive threats in our own way. Moreover, we have other players who can chip in offensively Nick Cashmere, Chris Jepson, Connor Moe and others so it is pleasing that if we three are getting marked tightly or off our game we have other players who can provide goals.

How is training for Indoor different than outdoor? Do you focus on fitness, touch, explosiveness?

It is very different, an ex-teammate of mine who coaches in the MASL described high level indoor as a combination of basketball and hockey and he is correct in terms of the tactical set up and pace of the game. We do a lot of situational simulation e.g. we are up or down on a certain number of fouls and play out at high intensity what we would want to try in do in that situation. With the season being as short as it is and occurring over the winter and thanksgiving break it is not set up well for gaining fitness and technical improvement. The players are expected to come in fit and ready to play as there is not much time to develop playing principles and team chemistry as well as the very different tactical applications. The biggest hurdle is training new players to indoor, learning the game and the strategy. In my opinion it takes 20 games to have a good understanding of the game in general.

Tacoma Narrows FC (The first tentacle-badged club in Tacoma) takes on three-time WISL Champions and 2019 runners-up Bellingham United in Week-One, then hosts two-time Champion and last year’s league winner, Tacoma Stars Reserves, in a Week-Two Tacoma Derby.

- Joshua Duder

For more information about Bellingham United

For more information about the WISL

Maryland Majors Week 9 Preview

Division 1

La Dolce Vita at Academy FC (11/3/19 Latrobe Park 1:00 PM) - Academy FC continues to fight out of the bottom of the table. La Dolce Vita is their next challenge. LDV is looking to make up points to ensure they stay in D1 and to turn around their loss from last week. Academy is looking to add to their win last week. LDV's high attack style will look to thread passes but Academy's possession style will look to keep the ball at their feet.

All Star United at World Class Premier (11/3/19 Latrobe Park 3:00 PM) - The partners face off. This may be one of the last opportunities these two teams will be able to face off. This is WCP’s last season in the MMSL. All Star United will be their partner in the league next season. Both teams look to make the playoffs and let's see who walks away with points? 

Steel Pulse FC at Columbia FC (11/3/19 Milford Mill Academy 4:00 PM) - The defending champions look to stand in the way of Columbia's survival. This is the first of two of Columbia's biggest games. Columbia are looking to find their identity again, they once were a possession-based team but recently have looked for the threaded pass or the long ball. Steel Pulse love the pass over the defense and will punish any slow back line with their speed. It will be interesting to see which style Coach Carlos will use this week against Coach Mike and his boys.

Maryland International at Christos FC (11/3/19 Latrobe Park 5:00 PM) - The counter style of Inter MD will face off with Christos FC's high attack style. Christos loves to find passes in high traffic with quick touches, they expose holes in their opponent’s defense. MD Inter's physicality and speed are their tools. This will make for an exciting match if MD Inter can defend well enough and not expose their gaps when countering. 

Division 2

North Matches:

AFC DOBES at Blue Side FC (11/3/19 Milford Mill Academy 2:00 PM)

JA Raiders FC at Baltimore Kickers (11/3/19 Spring Grove Hospital Athletic Field 6:30 PM)

Robbie's FC at IFK Maryland (Automatic forfeit Points go to IFK)

Key Match: JA Raiders FC vs Baltimore Kickers. JA has recently found a great form recently. They have won two of their three last matches. Tie the third with 2nd place AFC. They are to face off with undefeated Baltimore Kickers. This will be an exciting match. Two very fast paced teams to face off.

South Matches:

Colombia FC at Meade United Football Club (11/3/19 Milford Mill Academy 12:00 PM)

Rockville SC at Limitless FC (11/3/19 Laytonia Recreational Park 6:00 PM)

Motorik FC at Dream Team FC (11/3/19 Laytonia Recreational Park 8:00 PM) 

Key Match: Motorik FC vs Dream Team FC. Motorik looking to keep their prefect forming going. They will head to face Dream Team FC. The new league leaders want to make it a five-game winning streak and add more distance between them and the rest of the table. Dream Team may have something to say about this. Having lost the 9-goal match last week and dropping to third place, they will be playing for everything.

-Geovanny Monterroso

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

A Bear with Claws Deep into the Community

For many readers, the name Bearfight FC won't mean much. But for Wilmington, Delaware, it is starting to resonate deeply. Bearfight FC was formed in 2013. The idea of the club was to be something that both the club and the community would be proud of. In the last few days, they have taken steps that would make every fan proud. This past year, they lost their home field and have recently found a home once again. They are looking to play their home matches at Eden Park in the United Soccer League of PA. This wasn't an easy journey, many denied ideas and limited options did not help. But through the city's park and rec they were able to get a home. But not just a home, they would also be able to reach one of their club's goals, a youth program.

This youth program is a huge deal. Yes, it isn't an academy, yet, but it is proof of a team building ties with the city and community. When speaking to Jeremy (one of the founders), he shared how their vision for the club is to create "a community club. The kind of thing that everyone wants to and is involved in. We aren’t trying to build a structure that separates ‘the club’ from ‘the support’. We want to build the kind of club that blurs and erases those lines. I firmly feel that if you want a club to succeed, let the supporters, the community, have a stake in the club; a big stake. They will protect it. We won’t be ‘a soccer club’ we will be ‘a soccer family’." A community club, that has a ring to it, but it is definitely a huge step for the club.

The youth program will start as a soccer outreach for at-risk youth. It is a partnership with the city's park and rec, through them the program will be managed and run by the players of Bearfight FC. The goal of this is to establish a club will be called Wilmington Community Soccer Club - to maintain a relationship with the parks and rec to keep the program free and accessible to everyone, aka do soccer the right way.

The program will run its own in-house league to have players start to learn and develop the foundation of soccer. They will be looking to explore other city and state options as the program grows but the first thing is to instill the love and joy of soccer to the youth in the city. The vision is to have the youth look up to the players in the senior team and the senior team share their love for the game to the youth, creating a family. Jeremy stated "Our goal is to build a community club that is a pipeline, both in sports and academics, from youth to college, or from youth to a career in soccer." This is what soccer is all about, a team building ties with the community to help the future of their city. They plan to start by helping out their "Ositos" (bear cub in Spanish).

The team is looking to start growing, not just in soccer, but in the way we see some of these other big clubs do. They are creating a relationship with the city their represent. This is what all soccer fans love to see, a team giving back and the community responding with love and support for the team. I am looking forward to what will become of the club. Jeremy shared a few final words, “Eric, Justin, and I set up, in 2013 with a motto, ‘Loyalty. Inclusion. Family. Pride.’, a DIY ideal, and a belief in the city of Wilmington, Delaware. We are proud of this next step in our growth in the community. We love our city. We hope the city embraces us like we embrace this city.”

-Geovanny Monterroso

Help support the team. Check out the team site and learn about them.

Player Profile: Shavon John-Brown

Wikipedia says you were born in Canada before moving to Grenada, so what is your background in soccer, and how did you get to where you are today?

I was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada, then moved to Grenada at a very young age. I stayed there for about 17 years before coming to the U.S. I started playing in college and then went to Alderson Broaddus University [in West Virginia] for 2 years, and ever since then I have just been trying to play soccer at the highest level that I can. I went to Germany for a few months [to 1.FCA Darmstadt in the sixth-tier Verbandsliga], and when I was on break I came back to the U.S. and started playing NPSL with the Brooklyn Italians. I played in the conference finals versus the New York Cosmos, and then the Cosmos offered me a contract for the Members Cup.

What are your thoughts on US soccer in general, and/or the system in general, and/or the NPSL?

I think that U.S. soccer is moving forward which is very good, but at first I had no idea what some of the leagues mean. I started to understand more as time went by and as I played more. I played in and won the PDL [now USL League Two] with Charlotte Eagles in 2017, then after that started playing in the NPSL. I think the standard in the NPSL is much higher. Take nothing away from the PDL, but the NPSL has more quality players.

Why did you sign for the NY Cosmos, and how is your season going? What's it like in NY with the Cosmos? How was the game against Milwaukee (other than wet and cold), which is where I was able to take these photos?

I signed with the Cosmos because I saw myself joining a team that is family. Plus, the coach and I had a good conversation, and I'm already home where I can be playing in front of my family. The season is going good; while I was away for the international break together with another teammate, we lost against Detroit City, which put us in second place, so with one more game to go, we just have to take care of business and hope for a slip up elsewhere [Detroit City did not slip up and clinched the NPSL Members Cup last weekend]. Being here in New York with the Cosmos is very good, like I said I'm not just playing, I actually get to see my family on a daily basis. The game against Milwaukee was a tough one, we knew they would come out hitting hard, we just had to keep our cool and stick to the game plan.

In action against Torrent.

You are a current Grenada international (with 14 appearances and 4 goals). How is that going? When were you called up? Are there any challenges being an international and playing in the US lower leagues? How does this inform your game? Are there any particularly memorable moments?

Playing with the Grenada National team right now is very good! I recently just got back, and we are on top of our table [in CONCACAF Nations League B qualifying] with 10 points and two more games to play in November. Winning out in the group will see us qualify for the 2021 Gold Cup and also move up to League A in the Nations League.

I would say that the only challenge is getting called up and having to miss club games in the U.S., because I would definitely have liked to help the Cosmos against Detroit City last Saturday [which Detroit won 1-2 in New York], but unfortunately was on international duty.

My favorite memories would be, winning the Windward Islands games [the Windward Islands Tournament is played every year between five Caribbean nations including Grenada], and playing Puerto Rico where I scored two goals.

How would you describe your gameplay, strengths, weaknesses?

I would stay my strength is movement on and off the ball, speed, finishing and a little dribbling. Weaknesses I don't really think I have, because I believe once your mind is right, the body will follow.

Do you follow or support any teams?

I support two teams: Real Madrid and Manchester United. We aren't at our best right now, but we will rise again!

Shavon and the NY Cosmos finish their NPSL Members Cup season against Napa Valley 1839 this Saturday.

Header graphic provided by Cory Mizer, for more of his work, check out his twitter.

WWPL Install Promotion/Relegation

Founded in 2018, the Western Washington Premier League has quickly become a well-known league in Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Going into last season, the league had announced plans to implement promotion and relegation in 2020, with the 2019 standings determining the placement for clubs.

Recently, the exact format has been decided with it being announced that one team from the top division will go down as one team from the Second division will go up. “This was always a vision,” says WWPL President and Founder Mitch James, “we want to add it to hold clubs accountable and [so the clubs] always strive to improve.” As of right now, each division will have six teams. The First Division will contain reigning, undefeated champion Snohomish County FC, Crossfire Redmond, Nido Aguila Seattle, Kirkland FC, Federal Way FC, and Grays Harbor Gulls. The Second Division currently has the ISC Gunners, Harbor Force, Lacey FC, and BeSea FC. The league is actively looking for more teams to join its second division.

Promotion and relegation is important to the league as it gives a way for teams to join and build their club up. “Having multiple leagues this creates a foundation for new clubs/teams to start and build their way up the pyramid without being thrown into the deep end straight away,” says James, “In some [leagues], including our own, it can be hard for new clubs to start and play versus already established teams due to competition, expectation, etc.” James also highlighted what he thinks the biggest advantage of the WWPL is: scheduling. For a statewide or regional league, you might need to take off a day or two from work to travel to and from matches. That’s not always possible for amateur players. It’s a design that is focused on college players in their off-season.

A league like the WWPL can be a great opportunity for slightly older players (late 20s or early 30s as James says) to get some game time and continue playing the game they love. As a current resident in the Seattle area, I am thrilled to see this league continue to grow as they go into their third season. The league is gaining traction amongst their lower league peers and promotion/relegation should be an awesome way to continue that traction. I hope to see it bring in more fans as teams fight to avoid relegation or to gain promotion into the upper tier. It’s a very exciting time to be a lower league fan, especially in the PNW.

- Aarik Long

MPLS City Financial Review 2019

Editor’s Introduction

It is easy to believe in a fairytale, where everything ends in sunshine, rainbows, a handsome prince/beautiful princess, and a happily ever after, but the reality of lower league soccer doesn’t allow for that type of thinking. Instead, it is a battle to survive and the road is rocky. Those who walk this path do it because they love the game. Those who walk this path for long must have a vision and a hell of a thick skin.

Dan Hoedeman and MPLS City have walked this path for 4 years and have done it with the type of passion that the rest of grassroots soccer can only envy. They are the model club at their level: creative marketing, fantastic merch, and a rising lineup full of talented homegrown players. We could use a lot more MPLS City’s, regardless of what club you root for.

Every year, Dan and his board put together their financials and put them online for the world to see. It’s the epitome of grassroots and we love it. Dan approached our site about us publishing it and I will be 100% honest in saying that I was honored and ecstatic. The Crows are everything we love about soccer and we’re humbled to present their 2019 financial review for you to read. Keep fighting the fight.

- Dan Vaughn

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Minneapolis City Financial Review 2019

Minneapolis City is about to reach a milestone: next season will be its fifth season as a club.

Every season, for reasons sincere and probably naïve, we have published our financial results with a short, often heavily footnoted (1), write-up to give context to the numbers.

Like many things we do, releasing all of this information doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s unclear that doing so has inspired anyone to buy a season ticket or check out our merchandise and more than one concerned reader has told us that now our competitors know more about us than they should. It’s (probably) largely useless and (might be) competitively irrational.

It’s (almost certainly) fair criticism.

This club is a business and in many parts of business, rationalism and effectiveness are closely correlated. We are rational in budgeting, as an example, and we do rational things like get multiple bids from kit partners. But being rational isn’t everything and certainly not in what is, inherently, an irrational business.

Did you know that the median lifespan of an NPSL club is 2 years? In the league, only 18.7% of clubs have ever made it to their fifth season. (2)

It’s a fundamentally irrational project that reasonable people shy away from.

And yet, lower division soccer is one of those spheres of human activity, like Twitter or Mom’s lasagna, where people just can’t help themselves.

We certainly couldn’t.

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The advantages of illogical behavior.

The marketing benefit of illogical behavior is that it is unexpected.

When you have done something as irrational as start a lower division soccer club, and done it in so illogical a place as a city with franchises in every major pro sport, two other NPSL clubs, and a bunch of WPSL, UPSL, and well-supported minor league teams, then doing the unexpected is the only way to get noticed.

Another benefit of illogical behavior is that people tend to like it.

Economically, it’s rational to fall in love with a scrawny, hoodie-wearing Silicon Valley-type coder. And yet, you don’t see male strippers adopting that look. Some things can’t be rationalized.

In the midst of so much that is illogical, there are two very logical things clubs at this level need to do to stick around: keep their funding and keep the interest of the funders.

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How we did this year.

NotGreatBob.gif (3)

But first, the good news!

We planned to operate on an approximately $100,000 annual budget. We outperformed our plans.

We sold more tickets, sold more merchandise, and received more generous donations than we planned. Our fiscal year revenue of $105,382 continues our history of revenue growth.

We are especially pleased with this continued revenue growth given the loss of one of our largest sponsors mere weeks before our first game despite having reached a verbal agreement.

Unfortunately, our spending also outpaced our budget.

Much of the over budget spending came from our decision to make a bet on increased advertising. The advertising may have helped drive our attendance increase. It contributed to our increased costs as well.

Additionally, our travel costs increased. Between NPSL playoffs and the aggressive schedule of our U23s—we wanted to get them good, competitive games and that required travel—we went over budget.

First, some additional context:

• This covers our fiscal year, which is September-August (as it best represents a single season of operation).

• We’re straight cash accounting, homie #WuTangFinancial. Everything you see is cash in hand. Or out of hand, which was the case this year.

• There are non-cash benefits from our sponsorships that are not reflected above.

• Facilities covers stadium rental and training facilities.

• Gameday includes costs for Member Packs, tickets, and streaming video.

• League fees includes league dues, player registration fees, and referee payments.

• Mktg & Misc is primarily marketing and advertising but there are a number of operations miscellaneous items: website hosting, G-Suite for email and docs, photography, and the tent with walls we had to buy for the playoff game.

When we knew for sure that one of our larger sponsors was not going to come through on the verbal agreement, we made spending adjustments. However, we weren’t able to quite adjust enough and ended the fiscal year with a loss of $3,257.

Checking in with a legitimate loss is not great. Even though we’re talking about a relatively small sum, it’s still real money and we still have to find a way to get out of the red. We will. But the margins at this level are fine.

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The disadvantage of not being enormously wealthy.

Most other sports teams are funded by extremely wealthy owners. At the highest levels, these teams are massive moneymakers. The owner may decide to manage them to spin cash or as an investment asset (for stadium land, franchise value, or similar), but no matter how they are run major American pro sports teams are incredibly profitable businesses for incredibly rich people.

At the lower levels most owners can call on significant personal wealth to fund the team. Even in the NPSL, club owners include the founder of a major cable network, founder of a famous tech start-up, Sting’s son (for real) (4), and others who have done very well for themselves. A second set of owners are youth soccer clubs which, if you do the math on player dues over thousands of players to figure their revenue, shows that they are damn well funded too.

Minneapolis City, on the other hand, is funded by a bunch of regular people who buy Memberships and tickets (and our loyal sponsors).

Our budget reflects that reality.

And that reality is reflected in the wider world.

It creates a major disadvantage: Quick, which Midwest club is best known for its pink jerseys, cheeky Twitter presence, and lovably ramshackle minor league feel?

No matter how charmingly illogical and powerfully unexpected the brand and its marketing are, wealthier competitors can “borrow” what is working for us and just swamp us because they have the money to be everywhere, the channels to get their message all over, and the glamor, for lack of a better term, to get casuals to notice them.

It’s a scenario that isn’t unique to sports. It happens in every category and in real life, too. Maybe you have had an idea at work that a senior muckety-muck overheard and then brought up in a meeting. Too bad you got swamped, it was a good idea.

Anyway.

We live and die by our ability to get people to support us by buying tickets and merchandise. And we do so in a world where our competitors, funded by TV money, fat sponsorships, and personal wealth, can, and do, massively outspend us. (5)

It really is an irrational business that we’re in.

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Being illogical costs money.

This year alone, we:

• Opened a physical retail store for an NPSL team

• Did an ad campaign on the crazy back page of the City Pages with…

• …an 800 number we set-up to Rick Roll that team up I-35

• Had a promotion where we sold match tickets (and a bandana) to dogs

• Brought over a bunch of Dutch street artists to do some semi-permanent murals

One of the reasons I was excited about getting involved with Minneapolis City was to test a belief. Over the years, I have seen the ideology of rationality take over business decision making. Like any ideology, it distorts thinking. The current trendy distortion is turning everything into a problem that can be modeled on a spreadsheet and attributed to textbook-rational causes: optimization, economies of scale, test-and-learn, or any one of those MBA buzzwords.

Since it’s all the same management consultants advising all the same companies, they all end up doing the same things. In the name of competition, they’ve homogenized themselves around the same best practices and key metrics. (6)

This isn’t the set-up to make fun of MLS for giving all the teams the same white jerseys. It’s a larger and completely serious point: I believe that Minneapolis City will be successful and sustainable long term because companies are treating sports as a rational, corporate business while love—which is what sports are all about—is fundamentally irrational and human.

People want to fall in love with a community, not be a brand ambassador for a corporation.

The issue is that corporations think in rational, measurable, fit-it-on-a-spreadsheet ways. For example, there is no ROI-based business case to be made for flying Kamp Seedorf out to do murals for our players.

We did it because we love our players, want to celebrate them, and think street art is cool. We hope that it got noticed. We hope that it showed what this club is all about and acted as a sort of beacon to people who share our values. We hope it did a lot of great things, but we did it because it was awesome and we fell in love with the idea, not because it was an efficient marketing expense.

Love can’t be measured in terms of efficiency. The very concept is ridiculous. An efficiency mindset would tell you to buy fresh flowers on February 15. However, despite the obvious savings, it is not smart to buy your sweetheart flowers the day after Valentine’s Day.

I have no doubt that flash TV ads and $10,000/month billboards on major highways are surely more efficient than silly back page City Pages ads and street art murals. It’s just that it’s hard to fall in love with efficiency and, even if it’s nicely packaged by a top tier ad agency. The whole efficiency marketing apparatus creates a level of distance. It’s similar to when you were a kid and your grandma told you that for Christmas she didn’t need a present and just wanted you to make her a card. She didn’t need a flashy gift because the point is love. (7)

Love is a bunch of soccer fans building the club we always wanted.

And, especially in soccer, where supporters are typically independent-minded, with a visceral dislike of manufactured hype and a stubborn unwillingness to defer to corporate authority, Minneapolis City is an interesting value proposition for people who want to get DIY as well.

It would be nice to have a bigger budget, though.

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The downfall of passion projects.

If humans made sense, placebos wouldn’t work.

If people made economically rational decisions, Minneapolis City wouldn’t exist.

This club, like all lower division clubs in our closed league system, is a passion project. And, like all passion projects, even if the club is financially sustainable (and we are) the concern is that eventually everyone gets tired.

People have limited energy and even the most driven and passionate of people will have a limit in what they can give, be it time, effort, emotion, or, most of all, money.

Loss of passion, more often than not, is the reason that clubs below MLS fold.

We have kept that in mind from the beginning and, though we’ve persisted more out of stubbornness than anything else, we’re striving to build a functioning community of club volunteers and to have enough of them that the emotional labor we’re asking for is manageable over the long term.

We don’t have an army of employees and interns like others do. We don’t have a budget to pay anyone on a salary.

But we do have a mission that’s pretty compelling.

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Build something.

Where do we go from here? My accountant (8) tells me that I should talk to the Pohlad’s. Or maybe the Wilf’s (9). You know, big hitters with political influence and financial means. It’s a perfectly rational thing to do.

But this is not a rational project.

So, with delightful illogic, we’re not looking for the rich and powerful. We’re looking for regular people with shared values who want to build something.

The best thing about our project is that it doesn’t take millions of dollars or continent-spanning celebrity to make a difference. Everyday actions make a huge impact: a t-shirt or a Membership makes a big difference to us. You can see that in our budget numbers. Volunteers make a big difference for us. You can see that in our website, done for fun by a new volunteer. Simple things like spreading the word about the club makes a huge difference for us. We don’t have the money our competitors have. But social media means that we don’t necessarily need it if people are talking about uncorporate soccer.

We started Minneapolis City thinking that a group of regular people could build something worth falling in love with.

Want to build it with us?

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Footnotes

1.  But not this year! JK lol.

2. SocTakes reported this: https://www.soctakes.com/2018/09/21/npsl-clubs-median-survival-rate-2-years/

3. On the field though, where we won the conference again and added a U23 trophy for good measure, it was more GreatBob.gif (which doesn’t exist but it should).

4. "His music, I don’t really listen to it. But the fact that he’s there. I respect that.” – Hansel. Also, it’s completely true and par for the course in the weird, wild, wonderful NPSL: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/22/city-of-angels-mls-soccer-sting-joe-sumner

5. To put the budget differences in perspective (and explain our own marketing limitations), one month of that big billboard on I-94 by Snelling is approximately our entire year’s marketing budget.

6. Doing this helps the incumbent leader, because they’re not going to fear companies that are copying them, and helps businesspeople trying to keep their heads down in a large organization, because nobody is going to fire them for implementing a “best practice” from the market leader. So, of course, this is how American business works.

7. Yes, the implication is that back page City Pages ads and street art is what love is. With that information, would it surprise you to know that my 10th wedding anniversary is coming up this year?

8. I don’t really have an accountant. But my Dad, who is an accountant, said this to me as a joke so it’s true enough for journalism.

9. For readers who aren’t from Minnesota, the Pohlad family own the Twins and part of other pro sports franchises in town and managed to get taxpayer money to build a stadium in Minneapolis and the Wilf’s own the Vikings and somehow managed to get taxpayer money ($500 million!) to build a stadium in Minneapolis.

An Overview of the Mountain Premier League

The news in lower division soccer recently seems to be saturated with news of new national leagues and organizations, but there has been a different undercurrent in certain areas. Regional Leagues. The newest regional league to reveal itself is the Mountain Premier League in Colorado. Following behind the Gulf Coast Premier League and it’s partner the Great Plains Premier League, the Mountain Premier League (MPL) is looking to build this regional league for a specific and unique purpose: building a league that is able to fit into an open system. “Soccer needs lower divisions with FIFA open system compliance,” said Don Harmon, the Chairman of FC Boulder and a member of the Board of Directors of the MPL.

US Soccer’s persistence with a closed league model is well documented and this model was challenged quite comprehensively when Daniel Workman released his “Soccer Works” podcast series. This series discussed in detail what would be required for the United States to follow the world’s model for national pyramids and when five teams from Colorado set out to start their own league, Mr. Workman was one of their first calls. “After playing in multiple soccer leagues throughout the years, and looking into joining national leagues, the group consulted with Daniel Workman and it became clear what the soccer landscape needed,” adds Harmon. This “open system compliance” that Harmon and Workman allude to is boiled down to the fact that the League is a “container” that is owned by the clubs that participate in it. This is reflected in the legal ownership filings of the league with the state it operates in. In wanting to implement this system accurately, the league went to the source and announced that Workman would be the first Commissioner of the MPL.

The five clubs in the MPL are FC Boulder, Colorado Springs FC, GAM United FC, and FC Colorado. The owners of each club sit on the Board of Directors of the League, with Workman as the Commissioner. Each club pays a $2000 league fee annually which covers registration and referee costs, keeping the financial barriers to participation fairly low. So the MPL will differentiate itself by being able to easily enter into an open system, but practically what does that mean for the clubs and the league over the next few years?

With five clubs set to play a shortened 2019 season, the league has growth, and a full year schedule, on its mind. “Ideally the Colorado/Southern Wyoming market would top out at 10 teams. Currently we believe there aren’t 10 clubs with first teams in existence in Colorado and Southern Wyoming who aspire to the opportunities MPL provides,” Harmon continued, “We target a maximum of 10 teams because our year long fall to spring home and away balanced schedule would provide an 18 week season.” The league is not the only competition the MPL hopes it’s member clubs will participate in. Harmon insisted other competitions would be included, “Fitting US Open Cup and US National Amateur Cup around an 18 week season schedule could potentially bring 28 weeks of soccer per year or more depending how far teams advance.” This amount of soccer for amateur/semi-pro clubs is extremely high and the level and amount of training provided to players and managers would be far beyond what most are able to offer. The opportunities do not stop with the players and managers however.

“We have a director of officials who can advocate for our teams and help protect our players and maintain a standard of officiating and rule enforcement,” Harmon continued, “We actively advocate for referee protection and advancement opportunities through education and experience. Referees are able to receive assessments when doing our games to aid them in advancing their experience and levels.” The Director of Officials, Neal Fausset, is an MLS VAR official and will review referee performances and decisions and assist in the assessment of MPL referees. “His expertise in reviewing video to assess ref decisions and enforce the laws of the game comes in handy for our teams and officials. He also tracks match reports, card accumulation, and advises on suspensions for our leagues independent disciplinary committee,” explains Harmon, which would certainly provide a new angle to the officiating in an amateur league.

So now that MPL will function as a league, with all of the unique characteristics that separate this regional league from the National Leagues currently operating in the US, how does the board see their league continuing to grow over the coming years? “We see it following the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Montana down to New Mexico and Arizona. As far west as Utah and Nevada and as east as Colorado and Wyoming,” Harmon asserts. These regions would be localized into separate conferences under the MPL umbrella, fitting into their commissioner’s vision for an open system in the US under the United States Association of Soccer Leagues, a reformed federation that would govern soccer leagues in his ideal world. “We believe it can fit the 16 region tier 4 under...USASL. Or maybe the MPL would fit in the 32 region tier 5 of USASL. The MPL fully intends to apply when the association is accepting applications.” Time will tell if clubs in Colorado and Wyoming are “open” to giving the MPL a shot.

- Phil Baki