After five matches played, the Portland Bangers are first place in the USL League Two’s Northwest Division. Head Coach Jorge Villafaña has got sophomore side Bangers playing their very best in front of the league’s very Wurst fans. Josh Duder caught up with the first-ever Sueño winner to ask about his path and how he ended up coaching sausages.

Before we get stuck into your work with Bangers FC, I wanted to hear about your pathway into soccer. How did you fall in love with futbol?

I mean, obviously, the love, the passion, is just starts when I'm little, right? I was born in Southern California, but when I was one year old, I went to Mexico. I spent 14 years there until I decided to go back to Southern California again. So, the love for the sport is born in the streets in the streets of Mexico.

At school, playing in recess and after school is done, going back home and be on the street all day. I believe that's how the love started for me and then it took from there, right? Just regular kid in Mexico playing in the street with his with his friends.

And how did that lead you to to compete for Sueño? I think a lot of our listeners might not be familiar with the TV program; you were the first winner, correct?

Correct. It started in 2007, I believe - where Univision did open tryouts with MLS, right? So, it was open tryouts, but it was televised and Univision had the rights for it in Southern California. Two thousand players signed up and it was a month of looking at players every every week, you know, for four weeks. You had tryouts and every week the numbers were getting shortened. I was seventeen and I was fortunate - I got to be the the first ever winner of Sueño MLS.

For your time in both MLS and Liga MX, how do the top sides compare in both tactics, and importantly to me anyway, in player development?

Yeah I got fortunate also that I got to play in MLS and Liga MX. MLS is way different now than when I played back in 2016. That's when I made the jump to Mexico; now fast forward and it’s 10 years and MLS has evolved so much. Not just in MLS, but the academies, infrastructure, the way they do business, it has grown tremendously. Development-wise, I feel that there's still a lot room to grow here in MLS, which in Mexico as well, I believe.

Obviously, in Mexico the league has been alive for 100 years. I mean, close to that, right? So they have done their part. MLS is growing. MLS has, I believe, 26… 28 years. So it's growing. I feel like it's going at the right pace. Yes, a lot of things need to change in order for for it to get better. It's a big country, so still growing. But I feel like it's going in the right direction if we put the kids first.

USL is a similar system, but not the same system as MLS, you’re accessing US-based players, academy development, college and high school players for talent. Where does the level of football in USL fall into that stratosphere between Liga MX and MLS? And what can the USL system do to improve its player recruitment and development?

I mean, first of all, USL2 is not a pro league. It's semi-pro. Most of the players are college players, which they are in school. So mainly USL2 is used to keep the players active while their offseason is going. So, I believe this is a good league for that reason to keep those players active so once they go back to school once they go back to preseason they're in shape. So, I think it's great what USL is doing with this system; do I believe is it has room to grow? Yes, like everything, right?

But at this moment, USL is doing a great job by giving a chance for these players to have somewhere to be and compete while their off season is going so that they are prepared for when they go to college and and they are fit and ready to go.

You've had the honor of playing for so many coaches along the way. Which of those coaches have had the most influence on your soccer philosophy and man management?

I have had the opportunity to have different coaches throughout my career and this question sometimes is being asked for me and I can tell you that when I was down in Mexico I learned a lot from Robert Dante Siboldi down in Santos. The coached that I learned, not just from player management, but how to run practice, how to be how to make a team glue together in order to have a chance to compete. Because it starts with the group.

I believe, first is player management, then comes the the tactics and all of that, but having a group that is together and going in the right direction - it's what makes a team win or have a chance to do something. I feel like good players make better coaches.

And speaking of players, which teammates have taught you the most and inspired you along the way? I've got a couple who come to mind; Diego Valeri; maybe Diego Chara?

Yeah, I spent two years with them before going to Mexico, right? I spent years with two amazing human beings, both Diego Valeri, Diego Chara, amazing players, right? On and off the field - great presence, which, you know, I had the opportunity to learn from them. But also, you know, in Mexico, I had the opportunity to play with internationals; with Mexican internationals, Argentinian internationals, Uruguayan internationals.

So, having that, around you just makes you a better player. I think even with the national team, right, having the opportunity to be at the national team, winning, a Gold Cup, you know, having Dempsey on your side, having Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, just to name a few, which were players that, I mean… I was 26, 27, and these players were already playing in Europe, and they were just, I mean, legends. So, I had the opportunity to learn from a lot of players during my career.

Once you left Portland, you you played in a few other places, including Mexico. But tell me why you came back to Portland after your playing career was over - what is it about the Pacific Northwest that brings our players back?

Yeah, I mean um Obviously born in Southern California California will always be home but uh coming back to Portland, right? My first club out of California the first club where won a championship ah You know, so that's always special and not just that you know, the the state is beautiful I think ah It's a great state to raise your family. It's not as crowded as California. The green is beautiful. Yes, you have the rain, but it doesn't matter. So community-based. So it's I believe those are some of the things that brings people here back to the Pacific Northwest.

How did you get set up with Bangers FC? You worked with other clubs in the area before taking this position, correct?

I worked with Westside Metros, which is a local club in Beaverton. I did work with PDX FC; I believe they they don't exist anymore. From there, I got the opportunity to be the coach for the Bangers. Through that transition there, a few people that work on the Bangers administration also worked for the Timbers. So there was that connection there as well. So, it just happened that I knew certain people, people knew me, they gave me the opportunity, they believed in me.

We had a great year last year, you know, just falling short two points from the playoff spot. And this this year being the second year with a little bit more experience of how the league works - with a little bit more time of, you know, of doing the recruiting, the scouting, player selection, we are off to a great start!

Bangers FC are first in the USL League 2 Pacific Northwest. There's some great teams up here. How do you sustain this energy? How do you see the season through?

Yeah, a good question. I think it's something that I that learned from last year, that you have to have a deep roster - you have to have a good roster. And the first four games, five games, are crucial to having a shot of winning the league. Obviously, that communication with the with the players, as well, right? Being being able to get on the phone with them, checking on them. I did recruiting since December and I was talking to the players once in a while; I was sending texts; I was trying to get in contact with them to see how they were feeling and creating that connection just before they show up into to the training field.

It’s really important - I believe that the person comes through, then the player, right? Knowing them at a personal level, being open for them to feel comfortable; to come and talk to you and creating that connection with the coach, not just the coach, the person, I think is really important. But once you step on the field, you know what your roles are, what my roles are, and then it's time to ah to play.

So how can local soccer supporters help bangers push to win this division and get into the playoff spot? You've got your job to do, but what can we do to help you?

Support, show up. This is what Bangers is. It's a community-based team. And I believe that we have seen support from the fans from last year and this year, but it's just show up, right? Root for the bangers. It will be really nice to see everyone that could be there supporting. We have, I believe, four games left or three games left at home. So why not, you know, show up those three games, support and help us get that win?

Is there anything else that I didn't ask that you wish I would have asked about?

No, I believe we do this because we love it, right? We are in this, and the sport of soccer, because it's our passion. Portland is really passionate and they love soccer - it’s why I’m here, being involved in the community, not just with the Bangers, but with the local club Westside Metros; caring about the development of the boys because I don’t just have college players, I also have some high school players that I I give the opportunity for them to be in this environment.

Which if they are at the level, this is the environment they need to be at because they're going to be challenged. So it is, you know, it's just not about the winning. It's about the community. It's about helping the players have that opportunity that is going to help them get to the next level.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH JORGE VILLAFANA HERE

- by Josh Duder