Crescent City Fundraiser

When I first heard of Crescent City, it was that slick logo that caught my eye. Just a beautiful work of art in sports logo, that crescent moon and the bank of stars, surrounded by a roundel and those two fleur-de-lis to indicate the french heritage of New Orleans, it was perfect. The expansion side for the 2020 GCPL season, which was unfortunately cancelled early in May, was fired up to kick off their participation in the league. PJ Lynch, club president, felt like the club could be competitive from day one due to local talent. “New Orleans is loaded with players and fans that we’re wanting to engage with and we feel the GCPL allows us to do just that.”

But the club’s connection to their hometown is much deeper than just the onfield talent. When the pandemic hit earlier this year, the club decided to get involved in helping locally and, according to club GM Jonathan Rednour, it was a simple decision.

“We love our city and the people that make it what it is. We looked into a few ways we could help with and we felt that this fund, which helps our gig industry, was the right cause. Our gig industry plays a huge part in the economy of New Orleans and majority of those workers are contract workers with nothing to fall back on. So we felt that was the right approach. Also, working to help out an organization like New Orleans Business Alliance, who’s [sic] sole purpose is to grow our local economy, seemed like the right thing to do.”

The club had already planned on releasing their newest t-shirt later this year, but decided to put it on sale early to help raise money for the local gig industry, in partnership with New Orleans Business Alliance. The 504 t-shirt became the fundraising tool. Rednour explained the concept of the shirt - “504 being our area code, represents the city of New Orleans, so we felt the meaning behind the shirt fit with supporting the cause for the very people that help make New Orleans what it is.” The fundraiser, which ran from early April to May 4th, raised $650 as the club sold 60 shirts.

“Being that we are a brand new club, we really wanted to test how far our reach went with doing something for our community. So we searched for a cause that we wanted to support along with seeing how much we could help by doing our part in promoting it…We can't thank everyone enough for their support.”

While the fundraiser has ended, the shirt is still for sale, and buying one will help support the club during a difficult time for soccer clubs all over the country. It’s available at the club’s online shop and if you can, buy a shirt for a club that prioritized the needs of their community over their own.

You can follow Crescent City on twitter.

Salvatore Piraine: Taking DCFC Into Uncharted Waters

Last year, with some fanfare, Detroit City FC announced major plans for the future and a brand new club expansion. After 8 years of playing men’s soccer in multiple leagues (NPSL, NISA), the rouge and gold are entering new territory by rolling out a women’s side into the United Women’s Soccer. The club is known for having talented sides and supporters as notorious as any player on the field. As the kickoff to the next UWS season approaches, we sat down with head coach Salvatore Piraine to discuss how he’s preparing his club for their first season in a new league.

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You've been coaching since 2002, can you talk about the path that brought you to Detroit City FC? 

I have been coaching for a while now, and I would say in the last 10 years I have not only coached in the youth game, but also with some men’s amateur teams over the summers.  So the level of summer "Semi-pro" summer ball is something that helped me get to this point.. The relationship now with Detroit City FC and the youth affiliates has also helped with the working relationship we have created.

DCFC has a strong track record for sustainable growth, what made the time right for a WOSO side?

Couple things that I think has made this the right time for the club to add a UWS side. The level of soccer for females has grown within the UWS and the state of Michigan, along with the strong support of the female side of our youth affiliates made it a no brainer to put out a women's team to compete. 

Do you feel extra pressure to succeed because of the DCFC brand?

I wouldn't say that I feel pressure but do expect for us to compete immediately... It is always tough coming into an established division of a league and try to compete immediately but there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to. There will be definite learning moments that we will have being new to the league, but again, expect for us to learn and grow during the season to hopefully be competing in July.

What sort of support do you expect from the Northern Guard?

I feel that we will have massive support for the City faithful just based on the large amount of support we have already received. We had over 1,000 fans at our first ever tryout in January and the support via all social media has been amazing… Super excited!!!

Where are you in the process of staffing and roster building?

I would say that I have my staff in place, with maybe 1 or 2 volunteer opportunities that I am working on. As for the roster, it is a work in progress. Making sure that I am building a team that will buy into the culture we are trying to create. With the season being so short, my goal is to build a side that will work hard for me and each other. It is not necessarily what college you play or have played for, but more of buying in to what we want here at DCFC.

You’re building a roster from local talent, so how did your tryouts go?

We had 67 players turn up for tryouts and the level of play was good. I was able to narrow the number down and currently have a smaller pool of players that I am still looking at.

What are your expectations for season one?

Like mentioned above I would like to compete immediately. The UWS division we are playing in has teams that have challenged for a title so this division is not a walk in the park. I am looking for us to be as competitive as we can, that is all i can ask of the ladies...

The UWS site hasn't been updated yet, but I assume you'll be playing in the Midwest conference, several clubs familiar to DCFC from NPSL competition, plus Detroit Sun. Who do you see as rivals from day one?

Tough to say, I am sure every match will feel like an immediate rivalry but to just name one team, I cannot do.

How will you measure success this season?

I think we will sit at the end and take a look at what we accomplished and from there we will make the necessary changes for the following years if needed. 

Greenville FC Goes on Hiatus

The news broke yesterday afternoon, Greenville FC had decided to pull out of the 2020 NPSL. The press release (as seen below) sites the exit of multiple Southeast conference opponents as the main reason for the decision. This offseason has seen Asheville City (USL2), Chattanooga (NISA), and Atlanta SC (NISA) all depart for other leagues, both professional and amateur. Just looking at the list of clubs from last season (2019) and comparing it to this season, it’s clear the quality of the conference has dropped significantly.

As of the time of this article, the NPSL website has already updated to indicate Greenville’s hiatus, showing the Southeast conference as containing Georgia Revolution, Inter Nashville FC, and North Alabama SC. Also included in the club list for the conference are two placeholders listed as “To Be Announced.” Which clubs these represent isn’t known at this point, but including two (as compared to one) certainly gives the impression that they are specific clubs in mind for the league.

Speculating on the Greenville’s new status, the explanation, centered on the shakeups to the conference, leaves something to be desired. Greenville has been on the rise since their first season in 2018. After finishing near the bottom of the table in 2018, the club made the Southeast conference playoffs in 2019. After the release of the news yesterday, we have spoken with supporters of the team and they highlighted the drop in attendance when the USL1 club, Greenville Triumph, moved into town last season. Those supporters speculated that Greenville FC may be returning to an approach more focused on local talent development, through indoor or small-sided play. They also mentioned the club has been very quiet during the offseason, further contributing to dwindling fan support. All of those concerns and comments are, of course, speculation, but speculation well-informed by the situation on the ground in Greenville.

Regardless of the long-term results of this move, grassroots soccer is better with Greenville FC in it. The NPSL is better with Greenville FC in it. Seeing a playoff-quality club forced to decide to go into hiatus is a bad thing. Soccer leagues need to be more focused on the sustainability of their member clubs, rather than simply adding expansion sides to replace those exiting. We need more clubs outgrowing the leagues than closing up shop. The cycle of clubs expanding and folding should be of great concern to all of us, especially the fans.

Best of luck to Greenville FC in their reorganization efforts.

Taking the Next Step: Gilberto Garcia

The first time I met Gilberto, he was playing for the UPSL’s FC Grande, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. As a supporter of the club, I could see his talent, that was obvious, but, more than anything, it was his passion that shone every match he played. Even the matches he didn’t play, he was always on the bench, trying to catch the coach’s eye to get into the match. And after the matches, he always made a point to talk to the fans and supporters. This season he played with San Antonio Runners, but has been working hard on landing an international spot. He’s a bright talent with a story, and, with a big move to Spain happening this month, we’re letting him tell it.

- Dan

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What’s your backstory?

My name is Gilberto Garcia, I’m 22 years old and I was born in El Paso, Texas but I spent the first few years of my life in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico(where my family is from). I picked up soccer when I was 4 years old, I played for a local club in Juarez and fell in love with the sport, I just wanted to be like my older brothers who also played. I’m grateful my father was such a big fan of the sport, who also played his whole life but never had the support that I’ve had.

Can you describe your playing style, preferred position, players you model yourself after?

I would say my playing style has evolved throughout the years, I must admit I hit a stump in my career while in high school. I stopped taking it serious after I got a knee injury my junior season, as I was coming off winning a district championship and being the youngest on my varsity team. So in high school I would rely heavily on just speed then it evolved once I got to college, becoming more of a finishing player. I modeled my game after Luis Suarez, Lewandowski, you know all the great strikers. Once I got into the semi pro scene, I kept my striker mentality and also started becoming a better passer. I feel like I’ve now turned more into a playmaker but can still finish the play when needed. I started watching players like Isco & Neymar. So all in all, I like playing striker and CAM. 

The UPSL’s Southwestern foes, like Sporting AZ FC, helped Garcia to be ready for his move to Spain.

You’re a veteran of the lower league scene in the US, where have you played and what was the experience like?

I’ve been in the trenches of the lower leagues in the US since summer of 18’ after I decided college wasn’t really getting me noticed. It’s definitely been a learning experience as you sometimes play against grown men so it gives you that Sunday league rawness. I’m grateful for the expansion of all these leagues as it made players like myself have more opportunities to get themselves out there. I’ve been at it for 3 seasons now, having my debut with FC Grande in Las Cruces, New Mexico. You’d be surprised how much local talent there is near the border, I then switched teams to the San Antonio Runners, in San Antonio, Texas to be closer to my sports agent Dr. Mario Sanchez. We had been cooking up the idea of playing in Spain for a few months so it was a good move. 

Where are you headed next?

I am now headed to Alicante, Spain to play for Santa Pola CF. 

How did you attract international attention?

As I mentioned, I linked up with my agent through one of my high school teammates who also went to Spain. I just messaged him one day and asked how he got noticed. I went to San Antonio in July of 2019 and conveniently the coach was in town visiting my agent so we met up and discussed the possibility of me going overseas and it took of from there. 

What’s your goal for your first season in Spain?

My goal for my first season in Spain is to develop into a lethal striker, and honestly work on my all around game. 

Any particular advantage of Spain versus another country?

I feel Spain has one of the most competitive leagues in the world being La Liga, so being in that country will turn me into a better player and hopefully I can climb up the ladder and make it onto a higher league team. The sky is the limit at this point so God Willing things will go well. 

What are the biggest problems facing players in the states?

I believe the biggest problem in the US is that we don’t have the same system they have in Europe, where they play year round in professional  academies. In the states, you have to fight to earn a scholarship and play college ball. In my opinion, it’s not the best route as you’re only in season about 3 months, and honestly Soccer isn’t viewed the same in the US as it comes second to American Football and Basketball. 

Gilberto played the 2019 Fall season with the UPSL’s SA Runners.

Do you see yourself as a success story yet?

I like to think of myself as a success story in the making, I was a young kid when tragedy struck my family. We hit rock bottom and I have had to climb myself out of it for the past 5 years. Having to work full time jobs and still having to go to training an hour away then coming home to family issues can be draining on a young adult, but I know the most successful people come from struggle so I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder. So this is only the beginning of my story, I want kids younger than me to have somebody they can relate to and to know that no matter what life throws at you there’s still a way out. 

What are your long term goals?

My long term goals are to make it to the big leagues, I know this career path isn’t forever but if I can get a good 10-15 years doing this then I’m happy. I just want to make my momma proud, my dad is the reason I got into the sport and my mom is the reason I never gave up. I want my brothers to live through me. 

Western Indoor Soccer League (WISL) Season Preview Part IV: Oly Town Artesians

Oly Town and Oly Pen Force opened the 2019-20 WISL season with a knock-down drag-out fight at the Oly-Pen Sports Center. The Force scored four times in the first quarter of an hour and it looked out of reach, early, for the Artesians, who hadn’t won since December 2017. However, Oly Town’s defense allowed only two more goals on the night and put on a show in the fourth quarter, matching Oly-Pen’s first quarter output, with four goals to steal the away win 9-6. The Artesians head to Snohomish next, to take on a Skyhawks team who are coming off a 3-6 away loss to last year’s champions Tacoma Stars Reserves. To get a better idea of what Oly Town Artesians are all about and how they’re approaching the rest of their season, we spoke with Brandon Sparks, the club’s General Manager.

Since its inception a few years ago, a few clubs have come and gone from the WISL, as a founding member, what do you do to ensure your participation each year?

The Oly Town Artesians were originally founded as an indoor team by myself and Tim Smith, the owner of Olympia Indoor Soccer, so we have long been committed to playing in the Western Indoor Soccer League. It doesn't take much to ensure our participation because it is such a fun version of the game to watch and, for me personally, it is the most fun season to produce because we get to do a lot more in game with music, contests, games and whatever we can do to put on a show. We generally have larger, more engaged crowds during our indoor season despite some challenges we have with our arena (our home for the past five seasons that is partially open to the elements, has no heat, and has the smallest field in the league and was supposed to be our temporary home when our first facility was forced to move) and a less than stellar record on the field.

It helps that we have control of our indoor field and have ownership that allows us to have field time. If you look at the history of the WISL, the majority of teams that have left have done so because of facility issues, not performance on the field or because they didn't like it. The Arlington Aviators and Wenatchee Fire had their indoor centers close; the Everett Arena never had a lot of available time and charged a mint for field time so Sporting Everett dropped out of the league. The building that housed our first facility was sold to a glass company and Olympia Indoor and a tennis center had to move. Luckily John Purtteman and The Evergreen State College had an arena field in The Pavilion that we could use and we loved our first season so much, we wanted to continue at all costs.

Oly Town Artesian supporters show up to cheer on their club, rain or shine, because while indoors that doesn’t matter! (photo: Oly Town Facebook)

Oly Town Artesians also field a team in the EPLWA, which means you get play against Bellingham United and Oly Pen Force outdoors too. Do you see the same players from their squads? Are the tactics similar enough that you know what to plan for? Or is Indoor and Outdoor totally different?

The tactics for indoor and outdoor are almost completely different, so while we see some of the same players, you can't really take much from performances between the two seasons. But player-wise, you do see a lot of the same faces, especially for Bellingham. We will see guys like Richard Henderson, Eleazar Galvan, Noe Betancourt Cruz and Uriel Herrera in both leagues and know what those guys can do. The Hammers have a lot of quality veteran players that stick around town year-round even after they graduate from Western Washington or Whatcom CC, so you see them during both seasons. They have built a fantastic club that players want to stick with and it shows with their results on the field.

Oly-Pen is a little different because their roster for outdoor is often very different than their indoor roster. They focus on younger collegiate players for their outdoor season and most of those players are not available or in the area for indoor. Their indoor team also used to draw from Kitsap Pumas players that came to the area and stuck around during the off season, but with the loss of the Pumas, those players aren't coming to town. Oly-Pen doesn't have a natural player pool - there are no colleges with soccer in Kitsap County (Tacoma is the closest city with collegiate soccer and it is 35 miles away), so their roster will likely be different than the group they had in the early years of the WISL. They also have a brand-new coach for the first time since they joined the WISL, indoor legend Dan Antoniuk, who I'm sure will put his own spin on that roster.

While they are not the same organization, a lot of the Tacoma Stars Reserves team also plays for Washington Premier in the EPLWA, so we see a ton of them in both seasons. And starting this season, the EPLWA will welcome Tacoma Narrows and a team from Everett, so we expect to see a lot more Narrows guys and Snohomish Skyhawks players year-round.

Speaking of indoor squads vs outdoor squads, do you have players who only play one season but maybe don't play both? Or do most of your outdoor players end up on your WISL team?

We have a small core group of players that play both indoor and outdoor. Nate Boatright, in particular, has been with both teams since our very first season and our goalkeeper, JJ Olson, is another guy that has been with both teams for a long time. There is a fair amount of crossover and we would love to have both teams together all year long in the same way that Bellingham does, but we also rely on a lot of college players for both seasons, so we get guys for outdoor that leave for college during the indoor season and indoor players that go home for the summer and aren't available for the outdoor season.

Oly Town heads up to play Shohomish Sky to face the Ginger Jesus himself, John Troka. (photo: Oly Town Facebook)

Bellingham and Tacoma Stars Reserves seem to have the league figured out - how do you break up their stranglehold on the title?

That is the million-dollar question. Honestly, we are all chasing those two squads. We had a rough season on the field last year but nearly knocked off Bellingham in the last game of the season, so anything is possible. You look at those two teams and you will see consistency. They retain players really well through the years, fold in new, talented players when necessary, and just keep on rolling. We seem to constantly have to train new players to play the indoor game, and it takes a long time to get them up to speed. So, while the Stars Reserves and Bellingham are working on the nuances of the game with their experienced indoor players, we are teaching the basics year in and year out. Even really talented players need time to figure the indoor game out. It isn't as simple as it looks.

And, to be bluntly honest, we need a new facility. I think that we have a really great situation with three colleges in our area all with soccer programs, we should be able to draw more of them out to play indoor with us and hopefully have them stick with us through college and beyond. But while The Pavilion is a fun place to see a game, it is not a selling point for players. The Bellingham Sportsplex is great. The Tacoma Soccer Center is great. Oly-Pen Sports is great. The Snohomish Soccer Dome is a little worn, but it is warm and has other amenities that we don't have. We have been in our "temporary" home in a converted play shed on the campus of The Evergreen State College for five seasons now. Until we have a facility that measures up to the other facilities in the league, we are always going to start a little behind.

Honestly, Oly Town is known for dropping some pretty cool swag, aside from some swashbuckling indoor soccer, what do we have to look forward to in the merch department this year?

We don't have much new merch planned for this indoor season, but I would expect new gear for our outdoor season. But I'm always doing new designs and I love getting stickers printed. We lead the league in stickers, for sure, and I'm always willing to get them out to people. Fans from around the country can drop me a message and we are happy to send a couple out.

- Joshua Duder

Masters of design; Oly Town’s Brandon Sparks regularly comes up with amazing new stickers and graphics to promote the club from Olympia, Washington.

For more information about the club

For more information about the WISL

The Young Crows Find A New Perch

Few clubs at the grassroots level can claim the kind of brand management success of Minneapolis club MPLS City. With a slick approach to social media, merchandise creation, and successful cross-promotional relationships, City has become one of the loudest and most-respected voices in lower league soccer. Their approach is inspiring many of the new faces in the game to rethink their approach to social media and embrace that method for connecting with their potential fanbases.

MPLS City was founded in 2016 and joined the NPSL the following year. Since founding, the club has stuck to a roster building approach that focuses only on Minnesotan players. And while that approach flies in the face of many other clubs’ style, it hasn’t cost the club points in the standings. In three seasons, the Crows have only lost 7 matches and been to the regional semifinals twice. Homegrown talent is paying off and the club took the next step last week.

The Crows announced their U23 side, would be rebranded as MPLS City 2 and would be joining the UPSL next year. We sat down with club co-founder and president, Dan Hoedeman, to discuss the big move into the UPSL and what else might be brewing up north.

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UPSL has to be thrilled with the addition of such an established brand.

So why the UPSL over other regional leagues?

The primary reason for putting our U23 team, now called Mpls City 2, into a league was because the players wanted it: they wanted competitive games, they wanted to fight for a trophy, and they wanted the structure and focus that a league brings. They also didn't want the level of travel we had been doing while playing an independent schedule.

The UPSL in this area provides a compact geographical footprint for competition, which is valuable to young players who don't want to spend all weekend on the road to small and midsized upper Midwestern towns (even though it builds character).

Also, more prosaically, there isn't an established regional league with a footprint near us. We worked with some of the clubs that were trying to set-up the Great Plains Premier League, and it's a great group of clubs, but it wasn't quite coming together on the timeline we needed. I do hope it works though, the regional league network idea is a strong one.

How much crossover in the roster will occur between the NPSL side and the UPSL side?

The idea is that every MC2 player will be rostered with the NPSL side so there is maximum ability to call players in to that team. We saw that work successfully, and critically, last season. Guys like Eli Goldman, Mike Riley, and Noah Senn were called in to the NPSL team and played really important roles in last season's conference title. We want even more of that.

Will the UPSL side have completely different coaching staff/support staff/branding?

From a coaching standpoint we consider it two branches of the same tree (what is it about sports that brings out the lame analogies?). MC2 will a head coach, Ryan Nichols, who has been with the club for the past two seasons as an assistant. He knows the club. He knows the players. He knows the other coaches, and has a great relationship with NPSL head coach Matt vanBenschoten as the two are Bethel University alums who have worked together at Fusion Soccer Club and other clubs before. They will each lead their team and each have their own set of assistants, but will work together. That will include how we structure training, with some combined time and some separate time as part of each week's training plan.

As for branding, we're all one club. The team will get its time in the limelight, have its section of the website, and have its own hashtags (#YouthMovement #MC2), but this is Minneapolis City #OneMurder.

Image courtesy of Urbanpitch.

Any specific plans for a themed shirt or a different kit?

Because we are one, single club the idea is that we will wear the same kit and have the same gear.

However, we also can't help ourselves when it comes to kit design so...

Will the UPSL side be playing both seasons?

We will just be playing over the summer. It's Minnesota, so starting earlier than May is impossible and winter starts pretty early.

In theory could both of these men's sides make the Open Cup?

Theoretically, yes. The NPSL could qualify via the league while the UPSL side could qualify through regional qualifiers. However, given that our primary focus will be youth (college and high school-aged players) for the UPSL team it's hard to see how the fall qualifiers will be contestable.

And it's just double the teams to get kicked out anyway..

[if you’d like more information on the incident Dan referred to, we’d recommend 551’s article.]

Can you explain the thinking of including access for NPSL season holders?

We have some really passionate, really engaged supporters. We're better because of it. So the idea of adding on extra fees and pricing wasn't really something that seemed right.

Also, we want to make sure that we are executing well. This first year will be a learning experience for us--it's double the events we have to execute in some form or another and that's a strain on an all-volunteer organization. Better to be confident that we can nail it first.

The club’s branding includes the use of a brick and mortar store font for their merchandise.

Any future plans for a women's side?

We have been thinking hard about this for a while now.

The key for us is that we execute it as well as we do the men's side. That means that we need to get the budget, the facilities, the coaches--all of the elements together and at a high standard. The budget piece has so far been the toughest part. But we're not willing to operate a women's team as a second fiddle.

We have a woman leading the charge in framing up the women's side opportunity for the Front Office and Member Board to consider. A great player in her day, she worked with my mild mannered alter ego Dan the Ad Agency Guy for years, and is the right blend of knowledgeable and passionate about the sport and razor sharp and business minded. She'll be working with the broader team to see what a roadmap looks like to make it happen. No promises on timing, but we're going after it.

- Dan Vaughn

On a Rainy Night in Ann Arbor

What happened last night in Ann Arbor is confusing, but I’ll parse out what I can. The information primarily comes from an Ann Arbor press statement and an interview with Rochester Lancers owner, Sam Fantauzzo, which was conducted by Jarret Maki and posted onto his youtube channel. Jarret isn’t connected with any news organization but claims (on the call with Fantauzzo) to be a writer for the Kalamazoo Daily Beat. That publication does not exist, and according to Jarret, “I just kinda came up with that, I had never intended to make this into any massive thing or anything I truthfully only called him so I could get SOME idea of what was going on.” When I asked him how he got the contact information of an NPSL owner, he pointed out it was posted on the press release released by the team that evening. So while Jarret isn’t an official reporter, he is definitely interested in the NPSL playoffs and the match results. It should be also noted that Jarret is the originator of the “Hell Yeah Brother, NPSL Pro” meme that most fans love and share in Founders Cup circles.

According to Fantauzzo, the NPSL had a special agreement with Ann Arbor to allow them “to play regular season games at a field with no lights.” Fantauzzo was concerned about driving 8 hours to a match that was starting at 7p, so the league promised to shift the start time to 6:30p and had an alternate indoor facility to play in, if the lighting became an issue. “So we get there it’s raining, so our coach and GM went to their coach and said ‘let’s go play at that indoor place like we were told’ and they said ‘let’s leave it up to the referees, blah, blah, blah.’” So the match was delayed several times because of weather and at half it was already obvious that darkness would be an issue. Because it’s a playoff match, a winner has to be decided.

Again, according to Fantauzzo, the NPSL has rules for this sort of result, either the score at the time counts as the final or the match goes to PKs. Because the score was tied, going by the score wasn’t possible. So at halftime Rochester wanted to go to penalties and according to Fantauzzo, Ann Arbor refused because, “you’ll beat us in penalty kicks.” So they played another 15-20 minutes before the match was called at the 69th minute. Again, Rochester insisted the match should be determined by penalty kicks, but this time at the indoor facility. And Ann Arbor again refused. Rochester asked for a coin flip, Ann Arbor refused. So Rochester got their bus and headed home. I contacted the Rochester organization and they confirmed that it was Sam Fantauzzo on the recording, but “he did not know he was being recorded.”

The press release from Ann Arbor paints a different story. It directly contradicts the claim that the NPSL requires lights - “the NPSL doesn’t require lights as minimum standard, AFC Ann Arbor went out of their way to create a contingency plan to play the match at Total Sports Wixom if any weather issues came about.” I spoke with another league official who, off the record, confirmed that lighting is not a minimum standard for playoff matches. The press release also directly contradicts Fantauzzo’s claim that Ann Arbor refused to transition to the alternate facility. “AFC Ann Arbor Chairman, Bilal Saeed, spoke directly with Rochester Lancers GM Marc Mandell, who confirmed that Lancers head coach refused to go to another facility after the match was already underway...Rochester claiming that they didn’t refuse to play at the indoor facility is a bold lie.” Saeed continued “I apologize to our fans and especially the players, that the match will be decided by a coin flip.”

Image from the Ann Arbor press release.

Whether the match is actually decided by a coin flip remains to be seen. Both organizations have been contacted and both are pretty tight-lipped. I did speak with someone in the Rochester office who was reluctant to go on record, but did mention Sam Fantauzzo was on the phone working with Ann Arbor and the NPSL to come to an amicable outcome. In fact, the point that the two clubs were working together to come up with a solution was repeatedly emphasized by the employee. I reached out to my contact with Ann Arbor and was told they would reach out to me later today, with the implication that they were working on the situation and would have an update. Once they reach out to me, I’ll add that portion to this article. The league also told me they would have something this afternoon.

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The first couple of months that Protagonist Soccer existed, we had a big story on our hands. During the UPSL playoffs that season, there were a host of issues that arose, including clubs protesting league decisions, complaints about league officials and their rulings, highly opinionated tweets about officiating during playoff matches, etc. It was a mess. In the rush to cash in on the type of interest the story was generating, we passed the story to one of our writers and asked him to look into some of the claims against the league. He did his job and turned in an article that was well-researched, sourced, and full of FACTS. And I, the editor, and another of the founders of the site looked over the article and decided to kill it.

When we founded Protagonist Soccer, our goal was to bring light to the lower tier game. We wanted to emphasize growth, positivity and a nurturing approach to the sports we love. Placing a critical eye on the leagues that govern so many of the lower league clubs is a necessary evil sometimes. The leagues have to be held to higher standards if they are ever to achieve greatness. When our reporter wrote that article about the UPSL, his intentions were clear, he wanted accountability from a league that was doing unprofessional things. Whether I killed that article for the right reasons or not (I believe I did), I never questioned the intentions of the author of the article or my own.

We live in a soccer landscape that is easily mocked and criticized by trolls. Trolls want to see perfection but are unwilling to do the work required to get there. Trolls will point fingers and laugh while ignoring the difficult paths many have travelled to get there. Trolls will point to Ann Arbor playing without lights and mock instead of accepting that the league allowed it. Trolls will point to Rochester not being able to stay an extra night and jeer, ignoring the financial difficulty the team would have to face. Trolls will mock the NPSL as bush league because this sort of thing happened, but won’t attempt to grasp the difficulties of marshaling 91 competing clubs into a functional league.

So what happened on a rainy night in Ann Arbor? Some bad weather, some missteps by the league and the clubs, a tough timeline to deal with, and an outcome that no one is happy with.

It seems clear that the NPSL should require lighting at future facilities, because the sun eventually sets, no matter where you are in the country. And deciding a match with a coin toss is not a good thing, for any league, anywhere, ever. So let’s change these rules for the betterment of the entire league moving forward.

But instead of trolling this situation, let’s try to work towards the common good. Everyone in the NPSL is losing money. Everyone. Everyone writing about the NPSL is losing money. Everyone. Every supporters group is losing money. Everyone. So let’s lay aside our differences and work together to better the situation instead of making it worse. I founded Protagonist Soccer to bring coverage to the game, every day I strive to do that. Every day my writers strive to do that. If we only blow up the opposition, if we only talk about clubs when they make mistakes, if we only criticize leagues choosing against our side, we will down at this level and never build that American soccer pyramid we all deserve.

Editor note: In a statement via Ann Arbor social media, it was announced that “Ann Arbor will meet Rochester in Erie, PA tomorrow night at 8:30PM at Gannon University to resume the match from the 69th minute. If extra time is needed, (2) ten minute halves will be played before going to penalties.” The NPSL front office also made an announcement with basically the same information.

- Dan Vaughn

FC Arizona: Something More Permanent

FC Arizona has slowly established itself over the last couple of years as an NPSL club with solid staying power. Currently on a nine game undefeated streak, the club has done a lot of the right things. One of those things is their big announcement on April 18th, 2019.

That day can be marked down as not only a momentous day in the club’s short history, but also in NPSL’s history. While Detroit City has moved in and renovated Keyworth Stadium and other clubs have essentially taken over existing stadiums, I believe this will be the first time a club at this level has built its own stadium. However, not only has owner Scott Taylor announced plans to build a stadium, he also announced there would be multiple training fields, an indoor complex, classrooms and multiple locations for businesses to join the FC Arizona family.

I got the opportunity to speak with Mr Taylor recently about the announcement and some of the plans for the future for the club and its new complex.

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Image courtesy of FC Arizona.

Before we get in to more detail about the stadium, how long have these plans been in the works?

A stadium solution has been worked on for the past year. Meeting with different developers, crafting business plans and pro-forma. The need for a Stadium where we can sell Beer and have a Permanent home has always been the plan, since we launched the club 2016 to 2017. We felt like we needed to have a Permanent home to be taken seriously. Sponsorship and Beer Sales are nearly impossible without a Stadium in my opinion.

When you initially started looking at designs, were you looking for something more permanent or something closer to modular stadium?

What we wanted was something more permanent and on land that we own and control.

If you’re able to, how many designs were presented to you in regards to the stadium?

I looked at several designs, and have been to many stadiums. I like the sight lines at Avaya in San Jose and places with soccer specific stadiums with stands right next to the action and that are steeper, like those in the UK. When you watch a game somewhere like that it is a much better viewing experience. So, we basically knew what we wanted and designed it accordingly. This was the only design we did, because we knew exactly what we wanted.

Everyone knows it gets ridiculously hot in Arizona. Are there plans to install cooling systems for the fans while they attend games?

Yes. The Sonoran Desert is hot for 4 months of the year. The rest of the year, it is great here. We will put up the shade canopies, for those 4 months and take them down for the other 8 months of the year. This is the same concept that we use here in Arizona to cover playgrounds. We do that and couple them with large cooling fans that will circulate Air throughout the stadium. The top of the awnings will have Solar Panels, which will allow for energy storage. All these things combined will cool the stadium down by 30 degrees.

Does the club have a youth academy already established? If not, are there plans to establish one and use the classrooms as part of the academy experience?

Yes. Definitely and it will be considered one of the Best in the US. It’s more of a European model which allows for the development of players, and then helps in getting them to Europe to go pro or college. We will have contacts in clubs, all over Europe and Asia to move players on. And we will have an excellent first team, as you can see from the current Conference standings, we always try and take the football to the next level.

If you’re able to answer this, what is the projected cost of the entire complex?

I'd rather not say. But, it's not as bad as you think. At the same time, we aren't asking for taxpayer money.

Lastly, your press release says you expect to break ground in early 2021. Is it possible to break ground sooner? How long will it take to complete?

Yes. Sooner the better. Hopefully, we can complete at least the fields by Middle of 2020. But, we like to be realistic with expectations.

- Shawn Laird

For more information on the stadium project, check out FC Arizona’s site.

Life After Club

When Eric approached me about his club, it was first to see if our site had any information about his club, Derby City Rovers. I reached out to media figures, other clubs, the league (who were incredibly unhelpful), SG social media accounts - I did what I could, but sadly, I couldn’t deliver any information Eric didn’t have already. The club was silent on every account and site connected to it - Derby City was apparently dead. Eric decided to write about his experience as a supporter of a now defunct club and I very much hope he continues to write with us. His passion and voice shouldn’t be snuffed out by the collapse of a club, no matter how dear it is to him.

- Dan Vaughn

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One of the biggest things I’ll ever say, is that no matter how much I may loathe a club, or its support, I would never wish for that club to fold. No one deserves to deal with the loss of their club. But, unfortunately, it is something I’m in the process of dealing with.

My club, Derby City Rovers (DCR), had previously competed in the PDL since 2011. Prior to the 2015 season, DCR were the only club operating at a level above collegiate, in Louisville. That situation changed with the relocation of Orlando City FC to Louisville, to become Louisville City FC. The ripples this move created set the course for what ultimately spelled DCR’s demise.

With the arrival of Louisville City, there was a paradigm shift in the soccer culture in Louisville. Everyone and their brother lined up to hitch their wagons to the new club. As all of the youth clubs, and other junior clubs in Louisville wanted a piece of the sweet sweet professional soccer pie. DCR, however, was not amongst those groups. The club chose to retain its independence and to continue its vision of player development from youth to professional. While I was not privy to what went on behind closed doors, I’ve ascertained that there were attempts made to align the two clubs into one singular vision, but those attempts were rebuffed by the DCR board. This move may have set the stage for issues that were to follow, later.

The story of my involvement with DCR is quite heavily entangled with the story of how Louisville City came to be. I was introduced to DCR via the Louisville Coopers, the supporters group who were the driving force behind Orlando City choosing Louisville as their place to relocate. I was involved heavily in those efforts, helping out where I could. Going to events. Spreading the word. Doing whatever I could to bring awareness to the efforts of the Coopers, and the long-term goal associated with them. Once the spring of 2014 rolled around, everything changed. I was introduced to DCR because of a Coopers event. And gradually from that moment, I drifted away from those roots.

Image from Kick It! blog.

DCR, by its very design, could not compete with Louisville City. It’s like comparing apples to Mick Jagger. As stated previously, DCR fiercely maintained an emphasis on player development. Thus, at times, it would lead to the club having seasons which, by most standards, were mediocre. But, in the five years that I lead the supporters group for the club, four of them were spent in the most competitive division in the PDL. Out of that division, DCR regularly faced three former PDL national championship winners. Those clubs being Michigan Bucks, KW United, and FC London. Unfortunately, now, DCR is not registered for the coming season for the USL League 2, as the PDL has been rebranded. So the future for the club is up in the air.

Supporting a club like DCR was a challenge. There is no glamour in soccer that exists to bridge the collegiate with the professional. The soccer isn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing. And the players aren’t the polished gems that a lot of [televised] collegiate sports would have you believe they are. Add to this, there was a competition for attention. DCR, from the moment Louisville City was announced, had to compete for whatever attention it could get, through whatever means it could find. Which meant that, in a lot of ways, my voice became the way the club was perceived by those who were outside. Using any, and every, medium I could; I would regularly push for awareness of the club. I would regularly advertise for the club. I would share anything and everything I could to bring any attention to the club. Anything really. And somehow, through the most unlikely of events, DCR got coverage from FourFourTwo magazine in 2017. Yet, none of that could boost the number of bodies who lined the fence. Or the voices creating the din. But this was a problem that that club had had, going back to its old River City Rovers days. The club couldn’t afford to advertise. So that made it hard to get word of mouth out.

Even despite all of the frustrations, the politics, the hurt, the anger, the absolute hostility I felt; I still went out and gave that club my all. Even when they were the absolute dregs of the league, doing their based to hold up the weight at the top of the table, from the bottom. It was an experience which taught me a lot. And it was an experience that I was lucky enough to get my children involved in. For that reason alone, all of that was worth it.

Author’s Twitter Profile

Where do I go now? I’m not sure. One of my closest friends and I came up with the idea of a “Supporter for Hire” concept, borrowing heavily from our group name, The Boarding Crew. Take the pirate motif of transience and apply that to how we support clubs. The idea being, that we pick a club wherever we are, and we support them for as long as we are there. Bringing the passion and culture we know, to a club who may not have any.

Something else I’ve found myself involved in, albeit from the fringe, is helping out with the establishment of new clubs. Either through talking about them on the medium of social networking, or throwing around ideas with their founders to try to create a profile for the club that will draw. I remain very active in the soccer culture in the US, working in the lower echelons, trying to help out the clubs I can.

In the time since I learned of DCR not being registered for this coming season, I have found myself being more active, in other means. Through Subbuteo. Through writing for multiple soccer blogs. And through doing my best to help out wherever I can. This is definitely a strange time, being without a club. But I’m still involved. And still putting my energy toward the betterment of the culture in the US, and to a lesser extent abroad. And I’m applying the lessons I’ve learned, in guiding and aiding however I can. There is life after losing your club, it just takes a bit of work to continue.

- Eric Major

XSL: Regional Growth of the Game

At Protagonist Soccer we have discussed the importance of regional competition. Regional competition builds rivalries which bring in more fans. Regional competition uses its own talent without promoting other areas. Regional competition doesn’t force clubs to pay for high travel fees. Soccer fans often talk about how big our nation is and the amount of players that fall through the cracks, and it’s regional competition that helps place lower division clubs in smaller markets all over the nation. One owner saw these benefits to regional competition, so Fernando Macias created XSL of San Gabriel Valley.

The San Gabriel Valley resides in Los Angeles county and is the home to over 40 cities and neighborhoods. Over 1.5 million people, from a multitude of ethnic backgrounds, live in this dense area. The region also plays host to multiple colleges and universities. The San Gabriel Valley has all the ingredients for a regional soccer league.

The XSL was created in mid 2018 and launched with six teams in their inaugural season: Malex FC, Mafran FC, Nopaleros, Rowland United, Simon Bolivar and Soyatlan FC. Each club plays on Sundays at Gladstone High School in Covina, CA, where the XSL sets up two fields for one big soccer fest.

With the variety of league options in Southern California, I wanted to know what inspired Fernando to create the XSL. “ I played soccer in the area all my life and I noticed that most soccer leagues are very simple. All the leagues provided was a place to play, some referees and maybe some prize money if you won the championship. I know the kids that are playing these days are all millennial and there is no online presence for those other soccer leagues. Not even facebook, not even something with the schedule or the points. When I used to play I had no idea what place we were in. I had no idea how many points the other teams had. I had no idea how many goals the other players had. I decided to start a soccer league and bring it into the 21st century.”

While the league is small in size they have began to make big impressions with their branding. Along with running the league with his partner Ismael Sanchez, Fernando Macias is a talented graphic designer who has helped the league and each team with strong branding. Fernando wears many hats to help develop his league, but he is working towards some very big goals. When asked about the branding of the XSL he said  “Initially I had an idea to hire aspiring photographers, web developers, journalists from local colleges and high schools to help with the work. I’m still in the process of acquiring that, because I would like to focus on the branding. What you see online, isn’t what you’ll see next year. Next year I’m planning on stepping away from taking pictures and writing about the games and focus solely on the branding of my teams, players and coaches.”

Part of the incredible branding and that 21st century model, the XSL offers its fans a website with updated stats and standings. Their social media platforms show video highlights and player cards. They are continuing to grow as they enter their 2019 season and are looking at options for streaming, he said “next season we will have full games on our YouTube channel. Again, I will be looking for volunteers to provide commentary and analysis on the games.”

Currently the XSL is just a regional league, and while Fernando has ambitions to promote players and staff to better career opportunities, he also has ambitions of becoming a well recognized and respected league amongst the fans of lower tier soccer. What is the future for the XSL? “ I want to get as high as possible [within the U.S. Soccer pyramid], maybe third tier. Eventually that is my goal. Maybe even trying to form a California League, something regional or West-coast. Getting more marketing, getting online and even getting a news service, like ESPN, dedicated to our league. The journalists will be aspiring volunteers from High School and College. The league will help them develop their resume to later on apply to an ESPN or Fox Sports. At the same time they can help build my league. I want to be independent. I want to promote my teams, promote my players. I want to give them soccer cards, highlights, photos of their games so they can see themselves in action.”

While the XSL started out small, it has begun to make an impact on social media. Fernando has shed a light on soccer within the San Gabriel Valley and wants to continue to develop his business over the next few seasons. “I look forward to growing next season. This first season, like any first year in business, you take your bumps and bruises. Next season expect us to be exponentially better.” Fernando also added, “I’m not getting in this game to compete with these other leagues. I am getting in this game to dominate. There is no point to just get in to stay even or catch up. I see myself ahead of everybody. I see my league as the gold standard and for everybody else to catch up.

To reach the heights Fernando Macias wants the XSL to reach, he will need to show: hard work, dedication and a will to win. He has already shown those three qualities within one season and has proved that the sky's the limit, for this now small regional league.

“It’s the X Soccer League. The next level soccer league.”

- Steven Ramirez

UPSL Fall Championship Preview

With the UPSL Fall Championship about to be played, we decided to turn to two of our staff to tell the story of the two clubs involved. Steven Ramirez is California boy through and through, so of course he wrote Cal United II’s piece. On the other side, Dan Vaughn has lived in Texas most of his life and is the perfect person to tell the Inocentes FC story. We break down their path to the Championship, regular season and playoffs, tell you who to watch for in the final, and give our predictions.

Inocentes FC

Dan Vaughn

Since they joined the UPSL in the Fall of 2018, Inocentes has been a model franchise, producing results on the field and in their community of Fort Worth, Texas. While they are less than a year old in the national spotlight, the roots of the club cross national boundaries and go back over almost a century and multiple generations. For the Alcala family, that runs the club and manages the team, this is personal. To win is to honor their father, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. This drive to win is one of the reasons Inocentes was named our 2018 Club of the Year.

The Regular Season

After a first round knockout in the Spring season, Inocentes came back with a vengeance in the Fall. Playing in the rough and tumble Central - North, Inocentes kicked off the season with a run of nine games without a loss. That included two massive back to back wins with scores of 8-0 and 10-0 respectively. The only two losses of the season came against eventual conference champion, Dallas Elite FC. Unlike Cal United, Inocentes declined to participate in the U.S. Open Cup. How they would have done in the competition is purely speculation, but considering their run in the UPSL, several wins in qualifying would be expected.

The Playoff Run

Finishing second in the Central - North, Inocentes faced Atletico Katy in the first round of the conference playoffs. Atletico was coming of a regular season with only a single loss and a +39 goal differential. Inocentes beat them on penalties and advanced. The second round brought Houston FC and another win, this time in convincing manner, 4-1. Going into the Conference Final, Inocentes faced the only club to beat them all season, their conference foes, Dallas Elite FC. This time, they got their revenge, winning 2-0 to take the Central Conference title. In the National Semis, Inocentes faced Germantown FC, out of Montgomery County, MD. Inocentes won again, this time 3-1 to earn a ticket to the National Championship.

Players to Watch

The scoring for Inocentes is led by two powerful forwards, Anthony Powell and Oscar Romero. For Inocentes to win, they have to put the ball in the net, especially against an offensive powerhouse like Cal United. Powell, who has played in FC Dallas academy, is a former UPSL Player of the Week with international experience, having played for Swedish side Saddle FF. Oscar Romero has also played internationally in Mexico for Pumas. In the opposite net, Estevan Vasquez is Inocentes’ keeper and the key to their success defensively. All three of these players are still very young (22), but that shouldn’t shake them. In the Spring, they played in the National Playoffs and the path to the National Championship this season has battle-tested these young men.

Prediction

It would be easy to look at Cal United and assume they would destroy Inocentes. The rate at which they score goals is unparalleled in the league. Consider that the club beat their semi-final opponent 9-1. But picking against Inocentes FC denies their history of overcoming adversity. This is a club that takes a punch and then punches back harder. If Inocentes FC can keep Cal United from going up by multiple goals (and yes, that is a big IF), they will have a chance. They are plucky, aggressive and battle-tested. I fully expect our 2018 Club of the Year, Inocentes FC, to start 2019 with a National Championship.

Cal United Strikers FC II

Steven Ramirez

California United Strikers FC II have been one of the most dominant clubs in UPSL, since the clubs inception in 2017. The squad employs many former professionals who have plied their trade within the states as well as multiple countries abroad. The UPSL fall 2018 season has been another successful year for the club and has helped propel the club for future success in the NPSL and NPSL Founder’s Cup.

The Regular Season

Cal United rolled through the 2018 UPSL fall season with ease. They won all eight matches, scoring 53 goals and only allowing one. When you average over six goals a game, you are guaranteed to have a few big victories. The Strikers biggest victory was a 16-0 thrashing of OC Real Force SC. Few clubs managed to calm the scoring dragon within Cal United, but the Santa Ana Winds FC and Newcastle United managed to hold the Strikers to only one goal. During the season the Strikers also manage to play through three rounds of U.S. Open Cup Qualifying, where they eventually lost to UPSL and future NPSL Pro rival, Cal FC.

The Play-off Run

The dominant play didn’t stop in the postseason either. The club went on a four game run scoring 27 goals and only allowing two. The Strikers started the playoffs with a massive 11-0 win over SoCal North side, Kern County Mustangs FC. They went on to beat Orange County FC 2 6-1, Jasa Red Wood City 1-0 and demolished Colorado champions Logrones FC 9-1. The UPSL Final will be held on February 9th against Inocentes FC.

Players to Watch

Cal United is stacked from top to bottom with former professional players from multiple countries. These players have been UPSL stand-outs since joining the league. Attacking midfielder Kyle O’Brien played professionally in Malta, before coming back to the states in 2017. In fall 2017 he was name UPSL Most Valuable Player and has continued his run of form throughout 2018. Midfield partner Paolo Cardozo played in the River Plate academy and spent a few years in MLS with the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA. Cardozo was also named as the 2017 spring UPSL MVP and has gone on to be a consistent attacking threat in 2018. For the Strikers, the attack starts in the back with the likes of attacking fullback, Chris Klute. Klute spent multiple seasons in MLS and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 after an incredible season with the Colorado Rapids.

Prediction

The Strikers haven’t faced many challenges in the fall season and coasted through the playoffs to make it to the final against Inocentes FC. The Fort Worth based club will be traveling to Orange County to play in front of the Cal United faithful. I expect Cal United to to deliver another convincing win, proving that they are the best squad in the UPSL.

Livonia City FC Add International Experience to Coaching Staff

Very rarely does the announcement of an assistant coach make news, but Livonia City FC (who play in the Michigan Premier Soccer League) has done just that today. The club announced former Japanese International player, Mami Yamaguchi, would be joining the staff of the third year Livonia Women’s side. She will be the lead assistant coach under Trevor King.

Few assistant coaches have the resume that Yamaguchi brings to the table. From 2005-2007, she played soccer for Florida State and won multiple honors, including the Mac Herman (the award given to the top player in the country). Florida State qualified for the final four every year she played with them and made the finals in 2007. Since her graduation, Florida State has honored her career by retiring her number and then inducting her into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame.

Her track record of success only began with FSU. She went on to play with the Japanese National Team for four years, helping them qualify for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also played professionally in multiple leagues, winning several league titles. Upon retiring from playing, Mami has coached for several academies and schools. Her coaching career brought her to Michigan to coach with Michigan Wolves/Hawks, one of the top youth programs in the country and based in Livonia, MI.

Craig Beebe, club president of Livonia City FC, sees the move as a big addition to the staff. “Her resume speaks for herself. The women in our club will be learning from someone who has truly done it on the highest level. Her talent and knowledge of the game is unbelievably valuable to our organization moving forward. She will surely help us on the field but possibly even in the boardroom as well, as we make tough decisions. The club will learn a lot from her.”  Her addition to the club will certainly enhance a reputation for excellence that has been building over the last couple of years. In fact, Beebe credits Livonia’s men’s side’s success in the US Open Cup with making Livonia City FC an attractive option for someone of Yamaguchi’s status.

What impact this former Japanese International will have on the Livonia women’s side remains to be seen, but the arrival of her ability, experience, and depth of knowledge should be seen as a massive asset to the women’s game for Livonia City FC.

The club’s announcement of her joining their organization can be found here.

Professional Games, Professional Management – Detroit and Milwaukee Hire Historied Coaches Ahead of Founders Cup

With the NPSL’s Founders Cup taking place later this year and representing the bridge for several clubs from an amateur or semi-professional status to a truly professional one, a major question for clubs was how they would, or wouldn’t pursue professional level coaching. For some clubs, especially the former-NASL clubs, the path seemed somewhat clear as they already had coaches with that history, but for others the fog is only beginning to clear.

We can begin to find our answers in the recent hiring of two new head coaches for two of the Founders Cup’s clubs, the Milwaukee Torrent and Detroit City FC, both of which play in the NPSL Midwest Great Lakes conference.

Detroit City FC

Detroit City called Ben Pirmann coach for six seasons, seasons that saw the club win conference and regional titles, play clubs from across the planet, and become one of the NPSL’s biggest names. While Pirmann’s legacy at the amateur level is about robust as it comes, he will not be leading the club into the professional realm after leaving to become an assistant coach for Memphis 901 FC, a new USL Championship franchise set to play in 2019.

With a key leadership position open for business, City announced Trevor James as its new head coach on January 4th. On top of a playing career, James has an extensive list of credentials in various staff and freelance positions, working with the legendary Sir Bobby Robson as a scout for towards a decade before becoming an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. He would hold that position, along with other duties with the Galaxy, for four years before moving to the Portland Timbers where he was assistant head coach from 2010 to 2012. James also worked as Director of Scouting and Assistant Technical Director for the Chicago Fire and coached with the Indy Eleven in 2017. From scouting for Barcelona, Newcastle, and Porto, to coaching top clubs in the professional tiers of the United States, to say Trevor James is an experienced individual would be an immense understatement.

The question will be if James can lead Detroit City to a big result in the 2019 NPSL Great Lakes season and the Founders Cup. City finished in fourth last season, low for their historical standards, and will surely hope to return to the top of their conference. At the same time, the club faces a cup campaign that will pit them against two former NASL titans, the Cosmos and Miami FC, along with other top NPSL clubs like Miami United and Chattanooga FC. Doing well in the tournament would provide Detroit with a brilliant start to the next stage in their history.

2018 was Detroit’s year in many ways, but a successful upgrade with James could leave Detroit the undisputed champions of 2019.

Milwaukee Torrent

The Milwaukee Torrent also added their already-professional organization with the hiring of Carlos Cordoba as Head Coach for the 2019 season, which will see them play in the Founders Cup but not the NPSL Great Lakes conference. Cordoba has a strong record on and off the ball, spending nine years as a left back for Boca Juniors before making the move to management. Cordoba first managed as an assistant coach for the Dallas Burn (now known as FC Dallas) before spending a year as manager of the Miami Fusion, a now-past MLS franchise. The Fusion finished fourth in the East and made it to the conference semi-finals and Open Cup quarterfinals during Cordoba’s tenure. Cordoba would begin a career in Wisconsin while managing the Milwaukee Rampage, a former pro-club that played in the A-League from 1993 to 2002. Cordoba has also served as Technical Director for Strike F.C., a position he will continue to hold. Between the Rampage and Strike F.C., Cordoba’s career has included time with the Colorado Storm, Dallas Texans, UW Whitewater, the San Diego Hornets, and clubs like Chivas and Tecos FC.

Needless to say, the Torrent have recruited an immensely experienced man to lead their new endeavor into the experiment that is the NPLS’s Founders Cup. The club’s time in the NPSL has been a challenging stint, including their second-to-last Great Lakes conference finishes in 2017 and 2018. With no regular season to worry about in 2019, Cordoba has been presented a chance to lead the Torrent to a level of success the club has yet to achieve.

In Conclusion

Both Milwaukee and Detroit have made serious and professional signings when it comes to who will be guiding their squads from the side line. Both James and Cordoba have made things work at the professional level and will have an eye for what makes a player special, both from playing in historic sides like Maradona’s Boca like Cordoba and through scouting for the great clubs of the world like James.

The Founders Cup is a tournament surrounded in mystery, even by those entrenched in following the NPSL both in the past and present, but the slow coming together of a set of professional leaders for its clubs allows us to begin to form expectations for the cup’s nature and execution. Many questions remain. How will both clubs’ rosters reflect this new level of professionalism? How will Detroit manage its regular season while preparing for the Founders Cup? Milwaukee and Detroit have begun to show us the near-future of the NPSL. It surely, however, is just the tip of the iceberg.

- Dominic Bisogno

Searching for Success or Building A Home – Different Clubs, Different Styles, Same City

Rochester, Minnesota, like many cities and towns that call lower league soccer home, is a small market for any sport, especially the likes of the beautiful game. Despite this, Med City, who play in the NPSL, have managed to create a strong and reliable relationship their hometown. The club has finished fourth out of eight in its two seasons as part of the NPSL North and has gained a reputation as one of the key clubs in the conference despite never making the playoffs. In many ways, being able to beat Med City has consistently been the key to post-season and title success for the conference. With this in mind, the club may soon find itself competing for its slice of the Rochester sports market.

In early October, the UPSL announced that a new club would be joining its Midwest-North ranks known as Rochester FC. As the name suggests, they would be located in the same city as Med City and announced that they would play in Rochester Regional Stadium, the same home as Med City. While speaking to Med City the topic of stadium sharing came up but no comment was made. Needless to say this will be an interesting aspect of the two clubs’ relationship.

Rochester FC Tryouts

The interesting relationship between the two clubs doesn’t end at stadiums however, as Rochester FC made it clear in their early media appearances that the club aimed to do something they felt Med City didn’t do, a fact perhaps most notably shown by the fact that RFC was co-founded by a former Med City player, Midhat Mujic. That aim is to provide opportunities for local players. In an interview with Pat Ruff of the Post Bulletin, a Rochester-based newspaper, Mujic stated that “There is a team in town (Med City FC), but for us it is not a Rochester team… Our goal is to bring exposure to our (Rochester-area) kids.” This comment touches on the fact that Med City, as is becoming more common amongst some NPSL clubs, has been focusing more and more on scouting colleges and other sources of talent nationwide. Med City owner Frank Spaeth noted in the same article that the practice of finding out of state talent was simply done to improve the club’s ability to compete and provide a strong level of play for its audience.

While this discussion of local talent may at first seem like one club not appreciating Minnesotan collegiate soccer or Rochester in some way, a brief look into the local post-secondary environment quickly reveals a problem for clubs seeking to rely solely or even largely on local talent. Of the various major post-secondary schools in Rochester, only Rochester Community and Technical College has an athletic program, one which does not have a men’s soccer program. The University of Minnesota Rochester’s athletics stops at the intramural level, while the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science has no athletics to speak of. In total, and perhaps because of the area’s medicine-specific academic environment, Rochester has virtually no collegiate soccer footprint. Other nearby cities provide almost as little for Rochester, with the Minnesota State University Mankato having no men’s soccer program either and the Twin Cities, who hold quite a few well-viewed men’s soccer programs, being home to three NPSL clubs, two UPSL clubs, and many MASL clubs who use college players. Needless to say, any Rochester club seeking to farm talent out of local institution would actually find more sources amongst the older age range of high school students than they would in colleges.

With an important distinction between the two clubs becoming clear, Protagonist Soccer chose to speak with both clubs in search of further understanding of how both see the issue and how both found themselves on either side of a debate that says a lot about sport in Rochester, Minnesota.

Rochester Football Club has made it clear from the start that youth opportunities are a key pathway for their “local first” goals. Speaking with the club, it became clear that youth development may indeed provide the club with the solution to issues mentioned earlier in this article. “The goal of our club is to develop local talent in the area and bring them up into first team players while providing exposure to college teams and other professional teams. For our club, the youth play a very important part and they are the key to having a strong team for the future.” The UPSL provides a youth academy league for clubs to participate in but Rochester FC will not be taking part in this league for its first season. “This year we will not be playing in the UPSL youth academy, this will be a tournament team with friendly games against other strong youth academies and clubs. Our goal is to give the youth an experience that other clubs don't provide.” The club is not ruling out eventual involvement in the USPL Youth program, but made it clear they would not be involved in any way this coming year.

Rochester FC, while passionate about their new project, did show that they understand Med City’s interests in pushing for a more competitive edge. “If we didn't think there was enough talent in the area then we wouldn't have formed this team. We understand Med City's approach and we understand they want to be competitive.” With that in mind, however, the club did state that they feel that Med City’s solution to finding that competitive edge is not in their plans and not something they feel would make sense to begin with. “We are looking at this in a way that would benefit our local area youth athletes. We don't see a point in bringing players who are at the average skill level and are from other countries when we may have the same skilled level players in town who would benefit more.”

In the course of the creation of this article, Rochester FC announced the signings of four players shortly after their first open tryouts. All four players, Mooday Wah, Kevin Ortiz, Kadar Mohamed, and Ajak Bul, are from Rochester or the nearby city of Austin, Minnesota.

No discussion of two clubs would be complete however without the voices of both clubs. With that in mind we spoke with Med City owner, Frank Spaeth. Spaeth started off by laying out the basic connections the club has to local talent and local needs. “The past two seasons, area players have made up around 40% of our roster, with players from 11 different countries on the team each season. We feel like it has been a good mix… Over the past two seasons, the team has done more than 240 hours of community service throughout Rochester each summer.”

Spaeth also acknowledged that Rochester provides obstacles when it comes to sourcing talent. “I do think there are aspects of the Rochester area that make it harder for us to rely only on area players. We don’t have any colleges or universities with men’s soccer programs in town that we can pull from, so we can’t do like Duluth FC has done in grabbing players with local college connections, even if they are from across the country and around the world. There have been very few male players who have played as youth in the area who have gone on to play at a super high level collegiately or at a professional level.”

Despite the obstacles, Spaeth was quick to note that the pool has managed to help get Med City far in a conference that has quickly become one of the NPSL’s toughest all the while ranking below the resources available to its other clubs. “Our pool of talent doesn’t compare to the teams in the Twin Cities or even other larger markets like Fargo and Sioux Falls. It is important for us to explore all player options. The conference has also quickly gained a reputation as one of the strongest in the league. In 2018, Minneapolis City completed an undefeated regular season only to be upset by Duluth FC in the playoffs. Duluth FC went on to win the Midwest Region championship... If not for an incredible goalkeeping performance against us by the Duluth FC keeper in the last game of the season, we would have beat Duluth FC and they wouldn’t even have made the playoffs.”

Spaeth ended our discussion with a clear statement of purpose, one that combines local and far away talent. “Our goal remains the same as it was in the beginning. To be Rochester’s best, highest-level soccer team and to have a team capable of pushing for conference titles and playoff appearances every season. We feel like if we get all the players, both local and international, who have expressed interest in coming back for 2019, to return and fill the open spots with new players who improve the roster, we will undoubtedly do that.”

In the end both teams have big years ahead of them, years that could help prove their approaches to the game as effective or otherwise. The score lines won’t be the only numbers that matter as both will compete in a tight market of soccer fans. Perhaps those off the pitch numbers will best show which approach can prevail. The rest will be left for time to tell.

As a final note, Rochester FC mentioned toward the end of our discussion that a branch had been offered to their neighbors to build a positive relationship. “We offered Med City a scrimmage if they were interested so we can show them that there is talent in Rochester, but we haven't heard back from them.” That offer has still gone unanswered as of the writing of this article, though any change to that will be added to this article.

- Dominic Bisogno

Patrick Infurna: New Perspectives on the Beautiful Game

If you don’t follow Copa90 on social media, you’re missing out on one of the most exciting organizations covering international soccer. Their videos are interesting, well-shot, and fun to watch. Patrick Infurna plays a big part in many of their videos and we thought our readers would enjoy his thoughts on soccer journalism, the New York Cosmos and his music career. Enjoy!

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So Patrick, tell us about your background. Where are you from? Go to school? Etc?

What’s up! My name is Patrick Infurna, I was born in New Jersey but spent my teenaged and formative years in Vermont, where I also went to school at Castleton University. I studied Latin American Politics in school, spent some time in Argentina, landed an internship/job with a Boca Juniors academy in the US and now I work at COPA90 as a presenter and associate producer! I also dig music and play in a band that I’ve been in since I was 13, weird. 

How'd you get into soccer journalism?

My path into working in soccer involved a lot of kindness and support from friends and a little luck, my boy Prez brought me in to COPA90 which was then KICK to work on his documentary team as a Production Assistant, at that point I had been doing operations for the Boca Juniors US office and was ready for a switch to something more creative. COPA90 is an incredible company and the mobility and the access to do what you want within it is something I’m fortunate to be a part of, I was able to dip my toes into more aspects of the creative side of things after some time here and even able to co-produce documentaries, explainers, and other projects, it rules.

Tell us about Copa90. It's become the place to go for soccer content that's cutting edge. How did you get involved and what role do you fill there? How would you describe Copa90's method for choosing, shooting, producing content?

To go more into what COPA90 is about, we locate stories based on how important they are to the fans, really. It’s hard to pinpoint how and why exactly we do what we do and I’d bet there’s some sort of company line I should say here but to be completely honest, when it comes to our editorial content and when we want to tell a real fan oriented story, there’s just no stopping it. We’re constantly traversing the globe looking for the next story and the next cool way to tell it, between the London, New York, and Los Angeles offices it just never stops. That’s the beauty of soccer, too, the well will literally never dry up when it comes to interesting ways to look at the game. 

Your social media has a lot of Cosmos posts, fan much?

NEW YORK COSMOS CHAMPIONS. I love the club, its my team, my local side, the team my dad used to go see in high school when he didn’t even really care about soccer. It’s a wild, strange, sometimes agonizing club but it’s the only one I’ve got.

What do you think of the Cosmos' last couple of years? Specifically, NASL crashing, the year in NPSL
There’s no question that being a Cosmos fan has been beyond difficult, USSF’s ridiculous decision to de-sanction the league was the start of most of a new era of existential dread but it wasn’t really anything new, just a new look. I’ve been part of Cosmos fan groups going back to maybe 2010 or 2011 be it online or here in the city, and even back then the whole identity of this club and its fans has been “resist to exist” - from the very first decision to go to NASL, to the Seamus O’Brien ownership dipping on us essentially overnight, to Rocco saving the club at the 11th hour, the desanctioning, the NPSL season. If you look at just the sporting side of Cosmos you’d imagine we’d be the happiest fans in the world, but the reality is, no successes we’ve had on the field haven’t been coupled with hardship off the field. I truly love this club, it’s the only one I’ll ever support in the US, but I do long for stability. For me, the potential for stability is in place with ownership and interest, but so long as the structures of US Soccer are in place as they are, and as long as Cosmos are even perceived as a threat to the two other franchises in town, everything will be a battle, not really for wins, goals, trophies, promotion, whatever - but for the right to exist as a soccer club. That’s pretty insane isn’t it?

Partick with NY Cosmos owner, Rocco Commisso

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Founders' Cup?
I’m genuinely very excited for Founders Cup in 2019, kind of going back to the last question an elaborating more, when you have such a crazy club situation off the field, the fans who support this club are die hard. I mean, really die hard. Founders Cup will be an awesome league for die-hard fans, I think there’s serious potential for Cosmos, Detroit, Chattanooga, the Miami clubs, Oakland and the rest to really create something truly different in a US Soccer landscape that I think is desperate for some creativity. With that said, this isn’t going to be easy, and I don’t say it lightly that I think NPSL and its clubs are going to have to do just about everything right for this to last. It’s new, experimental, it will be received with hostility from most of US Soccer, it has more ways to fail than it does to succeed, but I think from the league office to the individual clubs and even the owners and ideas that exist in the rest of NPSL’s structure, there are some brilliant minds. The right people are involved, let’s see what they can do.

Thoughts on the pro league NPSL is putting together? What role do you see the Cosmos playing in that?

As for the Cosmos role in the future of NPSL, I think New York Cosmos brings with it a degree of credibility, I’m of no illusions that we’re a massive world-beating club at the moment, but I do recognize that our name is famous and carries weight. Not just the 70’s and 80’s Cosmos either, my Cosmos, the Cosmos of Marcos Senna & Giovanni Savarese & Danny Szetela left a lasting legacy and I think bringing that to NPSL and the league’s long term visions will be a very big boost. But no single club is going to be able to make or break NPSL, just like the amateur league, its a group effort, it should be owned and operated by the clubs, and there should be a collaborative mentality for all members that will strengthen the league and it’s competition. 

The lower league landscape in this country is the wild west currently. Do you follow it much?

I follow the lower leagues in the US closer than any other soccer, which definitely makes me a bit of a weirdo in the industry I’m in I think but, whatever, I love it. The lower leagues in the US are absolutely a wild west, things change every year, clubs are launched and folded every year, leagues are changing names, tiers, sanctioning, it’s craziness. The best thing that could happen for the game in this country is for the lower leagues to find some sort of symbiotic system that benefits everyone, I don’t have the answers for how to make that happen, I’d personally love to see a four-division tiered system with gradual promotion & relegation implemented. Will we see it? I don’t know, I don’t know how to influence the Federation, so my solution is to support my local team with my voice and my wallet.

Patrick with former coach of the NY Cosmos and current coach the Portland Timbers Giovanni Savarese

With Copa90, you cover the sport through a global lens. What does this country need to do to become a world power in soccer? What role do you see USSF playing in that transition?

I am a huge proponent of US Soccer making steps to align itself with the global game. I think we need to maintain a uniqueness to our approach here, but I think at the core of things, we need to bring ourselves into reality. I’m cool with the March-November season, I get it, I’m cool with playoffs, they’re fun! But I think in a country like this, with so many cities and clubs looking to find success and relevance in the regional, national, and global game - there has to be a way into the top flight that doesn’t involved a franchise expansion fee and submitting to a closed single-entity league. Cosmos won 3 titles in D2 in 5 years, but I won’t make this about my club, take a look at Louisville City FC. They’ve managed to build an authentic club culture in a city void of professional sports, they’re building a state-of-the-art 10k seat stadium, they’ll continue to grow and eventually they’re going to hit a ceiling. I know that USL has big aspirations and the clubs will grow with the league certainly, but why shouldn’t a club like Louisville, who are now 2x champions, be able to work their way into the next level? Look at Detroit City FC, I’ll regret saying nice things about them when we’re in the Founders Cup together, but what they’ve built has been nothing short of extraordinary. In a few years they’ve built a fanbase that rivals several clubs in MLS, they renovated a public stadium through fundraising, they’ve lured clubs from all over the world to play against them. Detroit City has been successful with little to no help from the system US Soccer has in place, in fact I think their success is directly correlated with their irreverence to it. Treat yourselves like a big club and you’ll become one, the US Soccer system won’t let you move up so they just filled out the space their in, and now everyone’s taking notice. 

We spotted your band Morning Comes Early in your social media. How are things going with that?

Thanks for checking out my band! We honestly don’t do all that much anymore, we play a few hometown shows when I go back to Vermont and pack 100 kids into someone’s basement, but the era of playing a lot of shows and doing weekend tours slowed a bit after college. With that said, we still play, we still write, and I think we might put out a few acoustic singles in the next month or so. Stay tuned for that!

Going On Fifty: Riverside Coras FC 2019 Introductory Press Conference

Stability for a lower league club is always in question. The United States Soccer Federation has continually ignored the teams within the lower tiers of U.S. Soccer and this has forced the closing of many great soccer clubs. Soccer history is being washed away with the sands of time and few clubs offer a true soccer history that predates MLS. While I can’t speak to the tradition and history for all clubs, I can speak for one: my club, the Riverside Coras Football Club.

On December 29th, 2018, the Coras held their 2019 introductory press conference. A lot of work went into this operation. Over the course of ten days, including the holidays, the staff and I went into a frenzy to prepare for this occasion. We found a home for our fans, gathered our videographers, promoted the event and put together one of the best looking presentations I have seen within the lower leagues, all for the cost of hard work and a few appetizers for our guests. We managed to pack the conference room with squad members, fans, partners and media members, all for this game we call local soccer.

This conference was more than just an introduction to the season. We discussed our history, our new coaching staff and what to expect in 2019, our 50th season. The Coras have a rich and vibrant history that will continue to develop each and every year and this press conference displayed the professionalism and passion that would make any lower league fan happy to call this team their own.

A Professional Expectation

With Founders Cup and NPSL Pro on the horizon, professionalism within the NPSL has become a huge topic. While my club doesn’t hold the budget to go pro within the next few years, we do everything in our power to present the best product to our fans and the other team owners within the league.

During the process of planning we discovered a hidden gem of a restaurant, La Casa Ortega, which is now the future hub of all social activity for the club. It’s half a mile away from our new stadium and offers a bar, conference room, traditional seating, and a meeting room perfect for future live shows. For this initial event we managed to bring in over fifty people to help celebrate the occasion. To shoot the event we had three cameras, three mics, and a switch board that provided an incredible live experience for our fans at home. The event was unlike anything I have seen in the NPSL.

The whole event lasted over two hours and gave fans plenty of opportunities to mingle with all of the Coras family. It was the perfect event to start our 50th season.

Honoring the Dream

The dream began in 1969 when owner Robert Lopez-Guardado’s father and uncles immigrated to Los Angeles after their playing careers ended in Mexico. With the passion of the sport still coursing through their veins, they created Coras de Los Angeles and began play in the California League. The club remained active and wouldn’t move to Riverside, CA until 2013. That October Riverside Coras FC would host its first tryout. Destiny would have her hand in play as both Shane Shelton and Jimmy Ross would walk onto the field, taking their first steps into the legendary status with the club.

“I still remember in October of 2013 we hosted tryouts at Riverside Community Park. That’s where I met Shane and Jimmy for the first time. Besides being talented players they also had the qualities to be great leaders and great captains. Since day one they were our co-captains. For them to move up and become our coaching staff, it only made sense. They are local players, they have been in the community since childhood, they went to school out here, they are both students from La Sierra University and they are pretty much a part of our family and so we are very excited to have them continue to grow within our program.”

— Robert Lopez-Guardado

Joining the Coras has been like joining a big family. I’ve been welcomed with open arms and continue to be taught different lessons about growing a club. After attending the games last year, I could see that family atmosphere. Robert would consistently make his way through the crowd greeting almost every person in the stadium and he made time with everyone. Understanding the history of our club is important and you can tell by the passion that is displayed on and off the field. The Coras have twelve volunteers on staff and even more that help pitch in on gameday. While the originators of this club want to see success on the field, they are all proud of environment created by each staff member, player, and fan. That is how we honor the dream set so long ago.

“We want to do something special in the Summer. We want to invite the pioneers of Coras de Los Angeles. Those that are still with us, we want to invite them to come out and host an event to honor them. We want to let them know that we are here to continue to keep their dream alive, the dream that began in 1969.”

A New Coaching Staff for a New Era

One thing I have always preached is that any business should always develop a pipeline of promotion. For the Coras that means sending players to greater playing opportunities, helping volunteers take their careers to the next level, and even having team captains become coaches. While Shane Shelton and Jimmy Ross have helped coach the youth of Riverside, coaching in the NPSL is at a whole different level. A level I, and both Shane and Jimmy feel they are ready for.

Their first task was hosting the first tryout to help try and find the right local talent to put on the field.

“We had close to fifty kids trying out. A bunch of talent. We want a bunch of young kids and I thought we had a solid group of boys come out and we have invited most of them to come back out to the first practice on January 3rd. We are in talks of bringing back a few players who have experience at the NPSL level, because it’s a different monster than what most of the kids [trying out] have played against in the past. So we are trying to find the right blend of young, hungry players with older, experienced guys to help mentor our younger players throughout the season.”

— Shane Shelton, Head Coach and General Manager

Now that the player selection process is well underway, the coaching staff has taken to implementing our identity. An identity that not only defines the club, but the community that it resides in.

“We have always been a gritty, hungry, passionate blue-collar team. We represent the community in that aspect, but I think we have moved away from that in the past couple of years. That is something we are really looking for in the players we are bringing into the squad this year,” says Shane Shelton.

“We have been a part of the Coras since day one. We paid to be in that first tryout at the community park. We have seen a lot of players come and go, we have seen new coaches and have basically seen it all with the Coras. I think we have a really grounded foundation of what has been successful in the past. We need to bring in a young talented group of guys that are willing to buy into a system. It’s not always the best players who win, but the hungriest and I think we have that here,” added Jimmy Ross, assistant coach and team manager.

All that’s left for coach Shane and Jimmy is to prepare their squad for the upcoming season. This year in the NPSL South West eleven teams will fight it out over twenty match days, beginning in February. The goal is to make it back to the NPSL playoffs this season, but what is more important is creating a culture within the club. A culture that promotes hard work, teamwork and a pathway to the next level of a player’s career. A path that our new coaching staff has walked before.

- Steven Ramirez

Maryland Majors: A History of Development

Every fan’s story starts with a single moment when everything clicked and the connections fell into place: that moment when a fan is born. Lower league soccer wasn’t for me even two years ago. I was the host of a small soccer podcast that focused on Major League Soccer, followed the English Premiership on the side, played FIFA on Playstation, and that was the extent of my soccer fandom. I was barely aware that soccer existed at the regional and local levels, and certainly didn’t follow clubs or leagues from them. But then there was the match that most non-fans remember when asked about amateur soccer: Christos vs. DC United in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.

Christos fans celebrating with the club after scoring against DC United. (Courtesy of SI)

When that story broke, I remember talking about it on the podcast. I followed DC United and, while I wasn’t steeped in the history of the Open Cup, wanted to see them advance. The video of the free kick in the 23rd minute, holding onto the lead ‘til the 80th minute, even the final score, 4-1 - it all inspired me to dig into amateur soccer. In some ways, it led to this site. That club, Christos FC plays in the Maryland Major Soccer League, a regional league in Maryland, and while its storied USOC run ended that day in June, the story of the league goes way back into the past and extends far into a bright future.

The Past and the Present

The Maryland Majors was organized as an entity in 1965, so, in its current form, the league has existed for 53 or so years. But 1965 is only the year when the Maryland Majors title was given to the league. MMSL was a direct descendent of the Baltimore Major League and Baltimore Unlimited League, which date back to the early 1920's. During this early era of American soccer, Baltimore was home to “more than 100 teams in 14 leagues at its peak in the early 1930s.” Those clubs and leagues were contemporaries of the old American Soccer League, which dominated the northeastern United States with clubs like Fall River and Bethlehem. From those early roots, Maryland Majors has grown to one of the best-run regional leagues in the country.

Action from a 1926 game between Canton and Newark. (Baltimore Sun)

Currently the league is home to 21 teams, adding two this offseason (Fortitude FC and Meade United). While the name might suggest that the clubs are only from Maryland, this fall, the league expanded outside the state with, according to Commissioner Bill George, “The goal of offering USASA elite competition to clubs around the DC beltway. In doing so we brought in our first team based out of Virginia - Motorik FC ALX.” But that expansion may signal more to come outside the league’s base in Maryland. “We are open to other clubs from the mid-Atlantic joining whether it is Delaware, Pennsylvania (particularly the central York area which is only an hour from Baltimore), West Virginia, or Virginia.”

The MMSL is set up with two divisions. The 1st Division has six clubs, a small number of teams, but the commissioner actually touts this as an asset - “The top six teams in Div. 1 are all quality and there is not much drop off like we used to have years ago when we had a nine to twelve team 1st Division.” Those six teams are fighting for the right to remain in the 1st Division as the league uses a promotion and relegation system between its divisions. The 2nd Division has two conferences and a total of thirteen teams (though that number may have changed with the expansion clubs). Through a system of playoff matches, each season sees a club (or two) rise to the 1st Division to battle with big boys. A 3rd Division may be in the future of the league, if expansion continues.

If you read down the list of league winners, you’ll see an unbroken history of soccer excellence, a regional league that keeps true to its roots while pressing for new ground in the future. There’s a future story about a club named “Max Blobs,” back to back champions in ‘64 and ‘65, but that story hasn’t been written yet. But that connection to history and legacy makes even more sense when you consider that the league commissioner is a product of his league.

A Product of the League

Bill George, MMSL Commissioner

Bill George, commissioner of Maryland Majors since 2013, played in the league in the early 2000’s before moving into coaching with Pipeline SC. But much like his league, his history in the sport goes much further back. After a successful youth soccer career (club, ODP, and HS) growing up in central New Jersey, George went on to play four years of college soccer at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. After finishing his college career, he continued as a college coach at both Emory and at Ferrum College in Virginia and earned his USSF "C" license. He developed his understanding of the business side of the game, focusing on marketing - first working for the Atlanta Silverbacks in the old A-League and later with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS.

Off the field, Bill George has been a practicing attorney since 2006 and has additional sports management and soccer experience working at IMG (sports management firm) and the Maryland Stadium Authority. Since 2008, George has been involved with the Maryland State Soccer Association (currently holding the position of Secretary) and United States Adult Soccer Association (Delegate).

For George, the goals of his league lie in focusing on product on the field: “first class administration, great fields, officials and the highest level of competition possible.” Beyond that base, the leagues will “aim to promote the clubs and players to help them meet their individual goals whatever they may be. Most importantly, George envisions the league as a “good citizen in our community and contributing members of the Maryland soccer community.” With a history so deep-rooted in the state, it’s no surprise that MMSL values the community that gives the league life.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

I asked the commissioner about that match that caught so many peoples’ eyes in 2017 and what effect it had on Maryland Majors. “The amount of coverage that Christos rightfully garnered benefitted the League as well in terms of exposure. Christos has proudly played in the Maryland Majors for twenty years and we are proud of their accomplishments and proud of any of our clubs that do well in national tournaments. The League worked closely with Christos and the Maryland State Soccer Association to organize many of the busloads of Baltimore supporters that travelled down to the SoccerPlex for that memorable game vs. DC United.”

There’s something exciting about a regional league backing  one of its clubs in a competition unrelated to league play. George and the rest of Maryland Majors leadership take this part of their job serious- their clubs and players have the backing and support of the league. That model has made MMSL one of the finest regional leagues in the country. Trace the line back through modern clubs like Christos, through the mid-century clubs like Max Blobs, back to even older leagues, it’s a timeline that’s more than table results and league winners, it’s thousands of players that have come through this league. It’s a history of player development and mentoring that defines Bill George and Maryland Majors Soccer League.

For more information on the league visit their site or their social media.

Our (Soccer) Christmas Wishes

As we enjoy another Christmas Day, we thought we’d make our wish list for Santa, much as we did when we were in grade school, except today we focus only on our soccer wishes. What would we ask for if we could could have these gifts under the tree on today? Our staff sat down and made three wishes we’d ask Santa to grant this holiday season! Happy Holidays everyone!

Dominic Bisogno

1. My first wish is for soccer in America, lower league and otherwise, to continue to embrace its diverse roots. In a time when world football is facing the racism that exists within it, I hope that soccer in the US can reflect the utter melting pot that it and the country itself are. I wish that clubs don’t hide their immigrant roots or inspirations. I wish that clubs don’t avoid connecting with their neighborhoods and communities and settle for a cardboard cutout blueprint of what a club in the US is supposed to look or sound like.

2. My second wish is that every club out there continues to grow in exposure. More supporters, more likes, more tickets, more views, whatever that may mean, I want every club out there to grow this Holiday season and in the upcoming year. This is hugely important for a club’s survival and having that foot print is key to a club being remembered.

3. For my third wish, I wish for the continued growth in local soccer and local soccer journalism in this country. While things are not always great or perfect, the environment seems to be ever crawling toward improvement and the amazing reception our site has received makes me feel this is truer than I’d ever realized prior. We’re making history every day, I hope you all allow us to keep doing that in 2019.

Dan Vaughn

1. Of course my first wish is Pro/Rel for this American pyramid. I want teams to have the chance to stand on the merit of their play. It makes for a better environment, it trims the fat, it grows the game through excitement and hope. No fan of lower league soccer would ever argue against Pro/Rel, but I think the positives vastly outweigh any negatives. I’m sure all my other writers skipped this one because it’s so obvious. It’s the proverbial wish for more wishes, but whatever - Pro/Rel Now, Santa.

2. For three more teams to join Northern Ohio Soccer League. We’ve interviewed the guy running NOSL, he’s a solid guy who just wants to see growth of regional soccer in Ohio. He’s got three clubs, he wants six to start the league with, I wish some people would step up and put together some clubs. It’s great for talent growth and would create another regional league we can all support.

3. Finally, for UPSL clubs to focus more on brand management. Look, we want to support all clubs in the lower tier, but it would be amazing if more clubs took time to better their crests. So many clubs seem to be in a hurry to roll out, but not willing to focus on growing social media, polish their website, update their timelines. It’s 2018 (soon to be 2019), managing the technology and polishing the brand aspects of your club are bare minimums to grow your following and increase your chances of survival!

Joaquin Colon-Nava

1. The Return of Women’s Soccer to Boston - Since the final collapse of the Breakers in January there has no women’s soccer team from the Boston area in any sort of national league. For that matter there’s no team in Boston of any kind that sells tickets. At this point it’s unlikely there will be a team in 2019 as well. My hope is that halfway through the year it’s announced that someone is bringing women’s soccer in Boston back to that higher level, hopefully not later than in 2020.

2. A Successful launch for the New Leagues - The more soccer the better and 2019 is big year for lower league soccer expansion. From the Wisconsin Primary Amateur Soccer League(WPASL) to the National Independent Soccer Association(NISA) there are quite a lot of new leagues looking to launch next year. Here’s to hoping they pull it off successfully and provide homes to countless teams in the future.

3. Greater collaboration among independent soccer - If there has been one constant since the beginning of US Soccer it has been instability and infighting. Likewise, the “independents” of men’s lower league soccer have often been the victims infighting. With competing leagues, clubs vs their own leagues and our own governing bodies, in a not insignificant way it’s affects practically everyone nowadays. The American soccer community can’t seem to get out of our way. Now I don’t think we’ll ever see all the infighting stop but players, clubs, leagues, fans all have enough problems on their own. Can we try communicating properly and not stabbing each other in the back?

Brian Burden

I am looking forward to 2019 being the year of the little guy and the city that surrounds that little guy. My first wish is that stories like the one I wrote on Cleveland SC become commonplace for NPSL and UPSL clubs, as well as other teams working hard every day away from the spotlight to better themselves and the cities they play for. We will be highlighting those cities as well; their youth systems, their supporters, the professionals they have helped prepare for the next level. Nobody was talking about Atlanta and soccer in the same sentence just a few years ago. My plan is to make sure you know about the cities you are cheering for before they hit the big time.

Much closer to home, I am rooting for a big 2019 for Christos FC. They recently won their four straight Maryland Major Soccer League Fall 1st Division Title (story to come soon) and they narrowly missed out in the qualifying stages on reaching their third straight US Open Cup. Everyone who falls soccer at these levels now knows of Christos FC’s run to the fourth round of the 2017 cup, and it is precisely those David vs. Goliath fantasies that make the little guy in all of us root that much harder. Christos FC has also come to an agreement with FC Baltimore, which is now FC Baltimore Christos, for the upcoming NPSL season. FC Baltimore Christos reached the playoffs in its inaugural season. Let’s hope this collaboration produces an even deeper run next season.

We profiled Rose Shoen and her incredible influence on Azteca FC and Sacramento-area soccer. Her story is inspiring. Let’s stop making it an exception. There are numerous hard-working, talented young female coaches in the game today. The more that have the opportunity to coach and influence on the NPSL level, the better. Diversity and open minds can only make the game continue to grow at an educated rate in this country.

I am certainly a homer here, but I wish that former University of Maryland product Zack Steffen has a successful move to Europe in 2019. No, I am not naïve. I know the signing with Manchester City does not mean he will slide in behind Ederson at the Etihad, or even earn a loan at another top side, but Steffen needs to set the bar high for this new, young generation of talented US netminders. He certainly has the chance to snag the men’s team position for the next decade, but the least he needs to do is make it so that whomever does earn the spot between the pipes is top quality.

Last, but certainly not least, no matter if you were a fan of the hire, I am hoping that 2019 is the year you get behind Gregg Berhalter as head coach of the US men’s national team. To say that the selection and interview process was flawed would be an understatement, but now is the time to back Berhalter’s boys as they prepare for 2022 qualification. Everyone is excited about the newest, youngest and brightest making highlights now, but patience is key. There are guys you are not even thinking of that will be critical for the national team by the time the qualification cycle ends. There has not been a national team coach that has made every right decision, and you are certainly going to quibble with several of Berhalter’s, but the malaise that surrounded the last qualifying cycle was as big a problem as the poor performances on the pitch. Stop assuming we are going to make the World Cup and do your part, whatever that may be.

Steven Ramirez

Dear Soccer Santa,

I've been such a good supporter this year. I volunteered with my local club and still bought my ticket each week. I went to watch high school soccer and spoke with players about honing their ability and trying to achieve the ultimate goal. I watched countless matches on Mycujoo and traveled all throughout Southern California to watch local soccer. I wrote about players, owners and clubs who all strive to put the best product out on the field and while I had criticisms about the state of soccer, I always put faith in the many people trying to make this soccer landscape live up to the potential it has. All I have is three wishes Soccer Santa, just three wishes that I feel would benefit not only my experience and love for this game, but every fan's relationship with the beautiful game.

1. I wish lower league clubs take an initiative to inform the public on who their players are.

Not many clubs take the initiative to keep an updated roster on their site or social media. Shout out to the clubs like Motorik FC Alexandria who take the time to announce all of their player’s information: name, age, nationality, number and most importantly position. Then there are the game day lineup announcements. I have watched countless matches and always have to refer to players by their number. This means I don’t know who to follow and if I love the way a player plays I have no name to help continue to following his or her career. If a players information is public, fans and writers can help develop hometown heroes and create stories that help promote their club.

2. I wish that mainstream media can shine a light on lower league soccer and stop ignoring the beautiful history our sport has.

U.S. Soccer is not 26 years old. It did not begin with MLS and it seems that the mainstream media outlets have ignored that fact. It should start with the promotion of the U.S. Open Cup and while the tournament is going through its own troubling changes, it’s still the biggest event that can shine a light on the amatuer clubs in the country. Most of that tournaments games aren’t even on national television, rather they sit on the U.S. Soccer website where they lack promotion and are viewed far less than they deserve. What would happen if these lower league clubs got the promotion they deserved?

For the longest time, I thought my closest choice to watch live soccer was either High School, Orange County SC or LA Galaxy. I had to search to find my local club, but many other soccer fans around our nation won’t do that same work. Without mainstream media taking a focus on lower league soccer more fans will continue to travel hours to watch their “closest” club, when some of the best soccer stories lie a few blocks away from them.

3. I wish for bigger sponsors at a lower level.

While soccer in this country is starting to gain more traction and develop a bigger fan base, more big name companies need to get involved with promoting the sport. Target has become a huge promoter of soccer and are helping to create more safe places to play and even help create more coaching schools around the country. What would happen if another big company got involved and provided scholarship opportunities for children to play within various expensive academies? Or a company provided grants to coaches who are looking to create free academies for boys and girls.

I would also like to see bigger sponsors of regional and national leagues. If there was an airline or travel company that sponsored NPSL pro, teams could fly their squad around at a lower cost. Big companies could also sponsor regional tournaments that offer a large prize pool that could help sustain a club for a few years. While amateur soccer isn’t played for the money, it takes a lot of money to keep clubs afloat and bigger sponsors means more competitive clubs.

Phil Baki

Let’s get one out of the way, my perennial wish is that US Soccer had a true pyramid and promotion and relegation but I’m going to focus on the more immediate (and perhaps more grantable in the near term) wishes about American Soccer.

1. My first wish is that the State Soccer Associations across the country would have had the courage to force a true election and debate by providing Chris Kessell (or any other candidate who comes from outside the US Soccer Federation itself) with the three letters of nomination required for a candidate to run. Our current system is so insular and exclusive in the way it is run that only a few people knew of Cindy Parlow Cone’s candidacy and in that secrecy the Athlete and Pro Councils basically consolidated all the votes necessary to win her the election before she was even nominated. The State Associations would not have the power to overturn her election, but they could have driven the conversation surrounding important soccer issues into a broader public forum. Instead they chose the status quo, and another opportunity for discussion about true reform is passed by.

2. My second wish is that USSF had maintained US Open Cup Local Qualifying rules through this year's tournament at least. Teams won their 3rd Qualifying Round games and in the past that would mean a berth in the US Open Cup First Round. Now, we know there will be at least a Fourth Qualifying Round to pare down the amount of local qualifiers even further. These teams entered the process in August, with three qualifying games being the target. Now that more professional teams are slated to exist in 2019, the number of local qualifying slots is being adjusted. Here’s my simple solution, once Open Qualifying begins, that should be the cut off for adding new pro teams to the tournament. After your first full season as a professional team, then you get your entry to the USOC. Instead, pro teams are given far more time to prepare for the USOC while local qualifiers are jumping through hoops before the Final of the previous year’s Cup is even played. The USOC 2019 Handbook does outline that a Fourth and Fifth Qualifying Round might be necessary, but teams won their 3rd qualifier with no understanding of what that meant. The Open Cup should encourage amateur participation, and I wish USSF would stop doing everything they could to discourage it.

3. My final wish is that USSF, USASA and the stakeholders of amateur level soccer in the US would get in a room and hash out a legitimate structure to the game Division 4 and below. The lack of true structure in US Soccer is problematic for a number of reasons, but the most obvious effect that it has is that it is exceptionally hard to define what success for a given club, player, or manager is. The thing about the amateur levels though is that, right now, we have the infrastructure in place to structure the game and help these clubs define success for themselves. While they wander the wilderness that is D4 and below right now, lots of smart people are figuring out solutions to this problem. With a bit of structure from the governing bodies that are supposed to provide it, the game could be a lot more secure at these levels.

From all of us at Protagonist Soccer, may you have a wonderful holiday season filled with happiness, love, and soccer!

Notable News from the NPSL Annual Owners Meeting

The following is a series of observations and reports on important topics and developments from the NPSL’s Annual Owners Meeting (AOM). Several questions related to this article were sent to the NPSL for comment, however almost none of these questions were answered due to the information not being public. With that in mind, all speculation in this article is based around real sources with real connections to the event and/or the league.

New Chairman, Kenneth Farrell

Kenneth Farrell- previously best known in lower league soccer as the owner of the New Orleans Jesters -is replacing Joe Barone as Chairman of the Board of the National Premier Soccer League. Farrell was previously on the board and replaces Barone, Senior Vice President of the New York Cosmos, who had held the position for quite some time. The most interesting aspect of the move may be that the board will now be headed by someone not associated with the Founder’s Cup despite the competition’s forthcoming launch as the professional branch of the NPSL. While ties to the Founder’s Cup or the Cosmos were of course never necessary aspects of the position of chairman, having a key figure from the New York Cosmos (or a club similar to it in power and scale) no longer hold this position on the board will surely be an important factor in how the NPSL moves forward, especially as the Cosmos along with many of the other biggest NPSL clubs prepare to leap into a new era.

Deal with Catapult Sports

Images from the event revealed that the NPSL discussed Catapult Sports with its members, perhaps hinting at a league-wide deal with the company. Catapult Sports, founded in 2006, provides wearable monitoring technology, athletic data management, and video tools for clubs. The company’s site declares its mission statement: “We create technology to help athletes and teams perform to their true potential.”

When asked about the nature of this partnership, the NPSL declined to comment. With that in mind, the potential uses clubs could find for Catapult Sports products are quite clear and at the same time quite endless.

Deal with FC Global

The NPSL has announced a partnership with FC Global, a group which aims to connect clubs from around the world in order to organize friendlies. We spoke with the group to discover their origins and goals. “A couple of years ago I started bringing youth clubs from Mexico to play in tournaments such as the Dallas Cup and Cerritos Memorial Day Challenge Cup. I reached out to the Fort Worth Vaqueros a couple of years ago and we were able to organize the Tigres vs Vaqueros friendly and from there more doors opened up… This year we set up Club America vs Napa and Academica as well as Tigres vs Vaqueros”

When asked what they expected for the future of their relationship with the NPSL, FC Global had this to say, “We plan to set up more international friendlies (mainly from Mexico). We believe the Latino market is important for the future of the NPSL and by proving NPSL clubs a chance to play Liga MX teams, it will raise awareness among the community… We are looking to set up International Friendlies starting in March.”

NPSL 2 & NPSL Pro

Protagonist Soccer has had multiple sources acknowledge the development of a lower league within the NPSL, nicknamed the “NPSL 2.” Questions were sent, under the assumption that the NPSL 2 would be a major topic of the AOM, to the NPSL that questioned the rumors of promotion and relegation between NPSL 1 & 2, how reserve squads in the NPSL 2 would be or not be allowed to take part in promotion, and the entry or yearly fees for the league. All questions were respectfully declined for answering.

On the topic of NPSL Pro, the NPSL again declined to answer questions revolving around the potential for promotion and relegation between the pro and amateur leagues within the NPSL. It was announced during the writing of this article that the NPSL’s Founders Cup would be played in two split regions, with ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, FC Arizona, and Oakland Roots in the West while Chattanooga FC, Detroit City, Miami FC, Miami United, the Milwaukee Torrent, and the New York Cosmos in the East.

Chairman Kenneth Farrell had this to say on This Week in the NPSL in regard to the league’s continued work on figuring out how the leagues will coexist: “It’s going to be difficult working through all the details of it and there’s a task force working on that right now.”

Protagonist Soccer will continue to track these stories as they develop and keep you informed.

- Dominic Bisogno

Colorado Conference Chaos

This story first came across my feed when I saw Logroñes Denver SC post a statement about an incident with a goalkeeper. Obviously, some of the things they said are very troubling. After a little bit of time, GAM United FC responded with their own allegations towards Logroñes. So, let’s look at everything that has happened.

The Incident

I had an interest in the outcome of this match. It decided who would be facing the Mountain Conference Champion for a spot in the UPSL Semifinals. I currently cover the Mountain Conference heavily and thus would be covering who they would play. Unfortunately, there was no stream for the match. I refreshed my social media feeds every twenty to thirty minutes looking for an update. Finally, at 6:53 PM ET Logroñes posted an update on their Facebook announcing they had won the Colorado Conference Championship with a picture of the trophy. I tweeted about this and went on my way. Less than an hour latter, Logroñes posted a second update about the incident in question, which stated the following:

 “As a club who has a history of being against violence, we hope that the UPSL and any other leagues in this sport that we all love stand up and do the right thing which is to go against any violence specially against the officials. Unfortunately, in our Final Match today the Goalkeeper from GAM United displayed very unsportsmanlike behavior which started off by aggravating one of the ball boys which he received a Yellow Card for, he would then proceed to disrespect the spectators and the facility. Towards the end of the match a penalty was called in our favor the goalkeeper got a foul called against him by the linesman for stepping away from the line before the penalty was taken which calls for a do-over, but the goalkeeper came running towards the center referee and proceeded to assault her. He shoved her on the ground and when players stepped up to push him away he started to throw punches left and right, one of which landed on one of our players. This type of behavior should not be tolerated at any level and we as a club wish to have the league do something about this. To the referees that were sent to our match today we would like to congratulate you on a job very well done! We hope the center referee from today is doing well!”

These were all shocking allegations, but none of us had any video to see what had happened. I reached out to Logroñes to see if they had game tape and I was told they would receive the tape on Tuesday and I might be able to see it then. I wasn’t able to, however, as local authorities are still investigating what happened. I was disheartened and thought I would tell the story without being able to show what happened, until I received a message on Tuesday with a video. The clip was recorded from a spectator’s cell phone and can be seen here:

In the video, you can clearly see the penalty kick get saved, the goalkeeper be called off of the line, the goalkeeper charge the official, and then the official end up on the ground. All of this lines up with the story told by Logroñes. They also stated that the goalkeeper began swinging. While you can not clearly see him throw the first punch, you do get to see both sides clear their benches and a large altercation happen between both teams. This was not mentioned in the original statement and may be something that causes both teams to face discipline from the UPSL for coming on to the field for an altercation. This is obviously speculation as of right now, as the league has not made a statement about repercussions yet.

GAM United’s Response

Later on that same evening, GAM United FC would respond on their Facebook page. Their statement began like this:

“We just read the statements written by Logrones Denver Soccer Club about the incidents that happened in todays Colorado conference final match and we are totally ashamed by the actions of our goalie in todays match. Gam United takes full responsibility for our goalie who acted very irresponsibly and unprofessional today with his actions and we APOLOGIZE for his actions today. He will be punished accordingly by all parties involved. He (Goalie) is a young 19 year old kid still trying to find his way in the world. He will be dealt with severely and we hope that this incident gets him on the right path of life. Gam United as a club are totally against violence on officials or other players for that matter and are very ashamed by the actions of our goalie this afternoon. He totally embarrassed himself and the club as a whole by his actions.”

This is a good response. Very professional and they accepted responsibility. It’s good. Things get interesting after that. They go on to say: 

“However, the statement made by Logroñes Denver Soccer Club is very interesting coming from a club that has verbally assaulted and intimidated referees through out their history of the UPSL (Including threatening the 4th official on tonights game last season where he had to be escorted out of the facility to his car- See attached text message from David the owner and manager from Logroñes)... Now these referees are your best friend because you won.

Please take your victory in peace and lets all find a solutions to improving all these young kids life by teaching them to be better people/citizens in our societies... Not throw fuel on an already burning fire.” 

They also included this image of a text message from the owner of Logroñes.

This is interesting to say the least. They decided to bring in new allegations of referee assault to after an incident when one of their players boiled over and attacked a referee. It’s an intriguing strategy. 

The UPSL’s Response

On Monday, the league released their response. In it, they stated that the incident is under investigation by local authorities and that the UPSL is cooperating in those efforts. They also said they are currently investigating the issue themselves to determine what kind of disciplinary action will be taken. They closed their statement by saying “Let it be known that the UPSL does not tolerate violent conduct and the person(s) involved will be held accountable. The UPSL stands with its referees and will not tolerate referee abuse and will work diligently until this issue is rectified.” 

As of the time of writing this, the UPSL has not taken any disciplinary action towards any club or player for the actions that took place that evening.

- Aarik Long