Lower Tier Soccer | Top Tier Coverage
Protagonist soccer is a media organization dedicated to lower-tier soccer; UPSL, NPSL, BSSL
After upending Indy Eleven Park two years ago, the Men's World Cup has started and Indianapolis is no closer to a soccer stadium or MLS team. We are now getting a clearer picture as to why.
by Brett Mullenix
Read MoreAfter 7 years in charge of Richmond Kickers, Coach Darren Sawatzky to depart RVA for PNW. Sawatzky, originally from Seattle, returns to the Pacific Northwest before the beginning of the 2027 USL League One season to take charge of new side Sporting Cascades FC.
by Josh Duder
Read MoreBetween both the USL League Two and USL W League divisions, there are 15 sides but only two in Oregon and this has re-created a bit of a Cascadia Clash. Last week both the Cherry Bombs and Bangers visited Seattle and this week turnabout is fair play to complete the home and away for all four clubs involved.
by Josh Duder
Read MoreFreelance photographer, Shawn Payne, took a trip to Loudoun to check out the Virginia Marauders hosting Loudoun United FC’s Second Team. He shared the photos with us and we decided to take a look around the Chesapeake Division of USL League 2.
by Josh Duder
photos by Shawn Payne
Over the weekend, Luke Martin of Stormwatch, along with his son, made their way up to Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to watch the Charleston Battery host Detroit City FC in the USL Championship. Luke had an opportunity to catch up with former Tormenta FC Head Coach, Ian Cameron, who now serves as an assistant with the Battery.
by Luke Martin
Read MoreAfter 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. We caught up with the first-ever Sueño winner to ask about his path and how he ended up coaching sausages.
by Josh Duder
Read MoreThe soccer season just got better! Sure, the top two professional USL men’s leagues have been underway for a few months, the US Open Cup has just wrapped up the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals start in just a couple weeks, but its really the launch of the amateur leagues which signal that the summer of soccer is upon us.
Our writers and favorite contributors take a close look at the biggest storylines in USL League Two; will the legends of amateur soccer find their way to the playoffs yet again; what young organizations will upturn the apple carts this season; and who will look the best doing it?
Read MoreZach Lowy has a candid conversation with Norwegian winger, Jens Petter Hague, and shares their time together with Protagonist Soccer. From Bodø, to Milan, to Frankfurt and back, Hague discusses the challenges of making the 2026 Norway National Team as it prepares for the World Cup and let’s us know what he’s up to these days.
by Zach Lowy
Read MoreLocal media coverage of soccer is shrinking at a time when soccer is expanding into new markets and cities faster than ever before. Former broadcaster, and current MLS diehard, found there’s a similar passion and love for community in the cities and towns which make up the divisions of soccer below.
by Tim Thomas
Read MoreHimself a La Masia academy graduate, Guillermo Amor, who learned from the legendary Johan Cruyff, opens up to Protagonist Soccer, in an exclusive interview with Zach Lowy of Breaking the Lines. He discusses his career as a player, a head coach, technical director, and even as a player representative for his son.
by Zach Lowy
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