Lower Tier Soccer | Top Tier Coverage
Protagonist soccer is a media organization dedicated to lower-tier soccer; UPSL, NPSL, BSSL
Starting from scratch, a pair of twins went all in to create the Albuquerque Alliance FC, not just for a place to play, but also for a way to give to their community and bring the talented women of ABQ together to thrive. We reached out to the women in watermelon and turquoise and co-founder Leila Chapa took the time to tell us all about their endeavor.
by Josh Duder
Read More2026 is just around the corner and will welcome back the guidon-bearer for club soccer in the United States. After a hiatus, the New York Cosmos return via USL League One and owner Erik Stover brings tells us where they’re going, where they’re at and where the Cosmos have been.
by Josh Duder
Read MoreIn an exclusive interview for Protagonist Soccer, Zach Lowy of Breaking The Lines, and contributing writer to FourFourTwo, The Guardian, and The Independent, chats with Assistant Coach, Jeyhan Bhindi, of Union Omaha. Los Buhos, the 2024 Players Shield Champions of USL League One are headed into the playoffs again, and Zach gets us a behind the scenes conversation.
by Zach Lowy
Read MoreUSL League One’s regular season ends this weekend and there’s still a lot up in the air: one last playoff spot, home field advantage, and the Player’s Shield. We take a look at the matchups, all on Saturday, which will wrap up the year and make the playoff picture crystal clear.
by Josh Duder
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 MoreAuthor Stephen Brandt joins Protagonist to perform club-by-club retrospective of the original NASL. In Part Three, we explore the high-profile of Ft Lauderdale Strikers during their NASL tenure. This will be an ongoing series with clubs’ histories being shared over multiple parts. Here is part three of Kicking Back: the NASL Era - Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
by Stephen Brandt
Read MoreWhat’s a couple hours of driving through stormy weather to see some old friends? Our old friend Adnan takes in a Forward Madison match against FC Naples and catches up with Matt Poland. It’s a USL League One reunion!
by Adnan Bašić
Read MoreBrett takes a look around the state of Indiana, gives us an update on the state of the Indy Eleven, as well as a final report for the season on League One bound Fort Wayne and cup winning Goshen City of the MWPL.
by Brett Mullenix
Read MoreAuthor Stephen Brandt joins Protagonist to perform club-by-club retrospective of the original NASL. In Part Two, we explore the several managers of Ft Lauderdale Strikers during their NASL tenure. This will be an ongoing series with clubs’ histories being shared over multiple parts. Here is part one of Kicking Back: the NASL Era - Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
by Stephen Brandt
Read MoreAuthor Stephen Brandt joins Protagonist to perform club-by-club retrospective of the original NASL. He starts with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers; looks at their early years, the franchise rights being shifted, the players, owners, and coaches. This will be an ongoing series with clubs’ histories being shared over multiple parts. Here is part one of Kicking Back: the NASL Era - Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
by Stephen Brandt
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