Lower Tier Soccer | Top Tier Coverage
Protagonist soccer is a media organization dedicated to lower-tier soccer; UPSL, NPSL, BSSL
USL 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 MoreSomething old is new again - Febre Amarela is a family affair, founded by a father and re-established by a son. The “Yellow Fever” is currently top of the table in the BSSL Division 4, where they have to start out as a new side, but they are looking for promotion and growth! Read on to get to know more about this great small club from Massachusetts, give them a follow on the socials, and cheer them on as they move up the levels.
Read MoreThe UPSL is launching a new cup competition in the state of California in 2026. With $10,000 on the line, amateur soccer clubs in the Golden State will be excited to participate.
by Dan Vaughn
Read MoreStarted 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 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
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