Lower Tier Soccer | Top Tier Coverage
Protagonist soccer is a media organization dedicated to lower-tier soccer; UPSL, NPSL, BSSL
Started as a grassroots community-based soccer club, Rochester FC has grown to serve the children, men, and women of their corner of Minnesota. Their bright and colorful badge stands out nearly as much as their talented players and when we wanted to know more, co-founder Midhat Mujic was happy to answer our questions.
Read MoreA summary of the trademark registrations of Scott Michaels and his various related organizations doesn’t tell the entire story related to the lawsuits he is involved with. But, it provides some context as to why the current situation is what it is.
by Dan Creel
Read MoreIf you like the US Open Cup Proper for its opening rounds when we get to see teams we’ve never heard of before from cities we might not have ever been to, then you you’re gonna love the qualifying rounds. Here is our quick preview of the Second Qualifying Round of the 2026 US Open Cup.
by Josh Duder
Read MoreWhen the RGV Toros of the USL Championship closed down it became an opportunity for one of its former staffers to fill in the void with a new club, and a new image, for the soccer fans of the Rio Grande Valley. We reached out to RGV Red Crowns of the League for Clubs to find out more and owner/president Jamal Fayyad took the time to give us the story so far.
Read MoreWe have two USL Championship teams, who are doing well in league play and surging up the table, which thrived in Group play and survived the knockout phase of a cup, whose collision course comes to a conclusion on Saturday. Either way, one of these teams will win some silverware this year - will it be former league champion and recent US Open Cup runners-up or will it be the surprise package who would reward their loyal fans with a first object to place in the trophy case?
by Joshua Duder
Read MoreNew York is full of soccer options, but if you’re based in Brooklyn, there may be no choice better than Brooklyn City FC - men’s, women’s, and youth programming is all available. The fairly young organization brings together the micro-communities under one banner and founder Jesse De Lorenzo and his front office team took the time to answer my questions quickly, as well as provide photos for the article.
Read MoreSo maybe it wasn’t the result we were looking for, but week 5 of the Gainbridge Super League saw plenty of action that we enjoyed. Here’s a quick recap and a look forward to week 6.
by Dan Vaughn
Read MoreAuthor Stephen Brandt joins Protagonist to perform club-by-club retrospective of the original NASL. In Part Four, we explore the high-profile matches of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers during their NASL tenure. This is the final part of a four-part series on the Strikers.
by Stephen Brandt
Read MoreFC Monmouth was one of the first clubs we presented back in 2017, but a lot has changed, so we reached out to get the update. They’ve been able to fulfill their hopes of community service and have even expanded Fall programing, which will include a collaboration with the borough of Red Bank to ‘Jam the Basie’ and promote community health and wellness.
Read MoreWhen they first kicked a ball in anger, they were not yet the Hounds - but then they saw the Light… which was shone on them by the league, and changed name. With charitable causes in mind and self-sustaining efforts in place, this team is community-minded and a fun way to blow off steam for the busy men of Tinton Falls, NJ.
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