Last week, NPSL’s Laredo Heat announced they would be creating a UPSL side to allow developing talent more opportunity for playing time. In the press release, Matt Kahla, UPSL national director, saw the move as a net positive, “Laredo Heat is expanding operations and looking to the UPSL as part of their plan. That's a tremendous vote of confidence for the UPSL, and we are definitely looking forward to Laredo Heat SC's contributions moving forward." The move by an NPSL side to create an incubator club in the UPSL has been a recent trend so I reached out to J.J. Vela, Laredo Heat GM, to learn more about the move and how he sees the relationship between the two big national amateur leagues.

Some fans see UPSL and NPSL as competitors, how do you see that relationship?

The fans are right and I see the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL as competitors in the general scheme of the U.S. soccer landscape; however, each league serves a different type of "clientele". We were members of the former USL2 (the PDL) for many years and now have competed in the NPSL for two seasons and this coming 2020 Spring and Fall Season, we will have a team in the UPSL which we have named the Heat 2 since we will still compete in the NPSL during the 2020 Summer Season as the Laredo Heat SC, the team that has been competing since 2004 (except for the two year hiatus in 2016/2017). The relationship between the leagues is cordial and professional, in my experience, all three leagues function within their respective markets (even if there are teams from the different league within the market) and it's really up to each club to market itself to the community and most importantly, what type of team each one wants to showcase on the pitch. We would be lying to ourselves if we did not acknowledge that within each league, there are teams that are run very, very professionally and compete year in and year out for league championships while others are managed with minimum budgets and do only what is expected in terms of minimum standards on game days, on and off the field.

What is the talent differential between the two leagues in your opinion?

Again, not only the difference between the NPSL and UPSL but between the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL. Each league, by virtue of where their member club is located, the type of player they recruit and the level of professionalism they bring to their community (at the end of the day, we are all amateur clubs) can have very competitive and talented players. In previous years, due to the U.S. Open Cup Tournament, we have seen teams from the amateur levels of U.S. Soccer not only compete but thrive versus teams from our Tier Two (USL Championship) and Tier Three (USL League One and NISA) professional leagues so the player talent is there in all three leagues, the only difference in the "talent level" between the league's has to do with what I mentioned above, where the club is located and the player they recruit to play during their respective seasons (NPSL & USL2, summer only as you know).

Long-term, do you see the UPSL and NPSL creating a formal agreement?

I do not, each league serves a different type of soccer "client / investor". The league fees vary so much between the three leagues that a team like the Florida Soccer Soldiers (UPSL) who had a great U.S. Open Cup last year would see no reason to join the NPSL or USL2 for the same type of access to competition. For us as an organization, as an example, we left the PDL (USL2) after the 2015 season because there were only four teams in the division for three years (2013, 2014, 2015) and travel just got too expensive, not to mention, not enough teams to market a season to fans and sponsors. In 2018 when we returned to play, we went with the NPSL because of the # of teams in the conference and the conference was much more regionalized though the USL2 has gotten better traction in the State of Texas.

Will talent move between the two sides?

In terms of talent, it has and will continue to move between the different teams in the NPSL, USL2 and UPSL since none of us nor the players really have any type of contractual obligation to each other (being amateur teams). In the two years that we have played in the NPSL, we have registered players with experience in the USL2 and UPSL, some even as far away as California and New York...they were just college players looking for the best option to play summer soccer to showcase their talent. In addition, we (the Laredo Heat SC) feel we are an excellent option for college players looking to play in a professional setting during the summer months and with our relationship / affiliation with FC Helsingor from Denmark, many players with no college eligibility left can also benefit playing for our NPSL side.

What is clear to us is that there is an unspoken hierarchy in the grassroots game, regardless of what league officials might say. That hierarchy (which may not be entirely based on fact, but certainly lives in perception) of amateur leagues (and the clubs that fill them) goes something like: city league<regional league<UPSL<NPSL<USL2. One big question mark currently is where a league like Gulf Coast Premier League (and it’s soon to come expansion Mountain Premier League) fits into this hierarchy. The GCPL lost four clubs to the NPSL in this year’s offseason, so it’s safe to assume those clubs saw the jump to the NPSL as an upgrade (which may or may not be true). Also note, NISA wasn’t mentioned because it’s not an amateur league.

One of the big complaints often thrown at the U.S. Soccer Federation is the lack of organization and tier designation. That complaint is vital to the landscape, because if USSF doesn’t do their job, public perception will make the decision for them (maybe that’s what they want?). And public perception is a terrible measuring stick for the quality of a league. It’s too easily swayed by PR and flashy presentations. It’s also easily pushed one way or another by big money investors who see potential to throw cash at dominating markets. That was true during the NASL/MLS battle and it’s happening again in the grassroots level. Perception is becoming reality.

It’s fantastic to see NPSL sides expanding operations to grow talent and it’s clear Laredo has a plan to develop their player pool. While that will pay off for Laredo’s players, the bigger questions are still unanswered about league superiority and hierarchy. Until the Federation sorts things out, we’re left to guess and assume. That guesswork may not yield the best results for the parties involved.

- Dan Vaughn

Laredo Heat SC put together a massively successful year in 2018. It’s first year in the NPSL, the club went undefeated in the regular season finishing 10-0. The key to their run was a stalwart defense that only gave up 4 goals in 10 matches, leading to a +33 GD. A principle part of that backline was Regional XI, goalkeeper Carlos Herrera. A college standout at Texas A&M International, Herrera has decided to return to Laredo for 2019. We sat down with Carlos and asked him questions about his approach to keeping, Founders Cup, and which cookie he’s munching.

When did you decide to become a keeper and what drew you to goalkeeping?
I was born in México and moved to California at the age of 4. I have very few memories, but one of the most vivid is playing soccer in the streets with my cousins. Eventually there was just a love I developed for the position. I wouldn’t say there was a particular age, it just happened for me.

Seems like a lot of pressure would rest on you during matches, how do you deal with that?

I absolutely love the pressure. I believe I have gotten better at managing pressure, and use it as motivation instead of panicking. It also helps enormously when you trust every single one of your teammates and coaches.

Last season was pretty spectacular, ending the regular season undefeated, how do you top it?

I believe the main goal of this team is to make a good USOC Run and to win silverware in the NPSL. Of course the undefeated is incredible, but what the team wants is a national title. Personally I don’t care for a blemish or two, as long as we can go as far as possible in the run for a national championship.

You were pretty instrumental in that success, earning all region honors, what have you worked on to be even better this season?

I have been working on decision making on top of keeping my technical work sharp. I also try and watch as many professional matches and observe the keepers and take notes on their decision making, positioning, and their distribution.

What kind of training routines do you do on a daily basis?

Currently I have been lifting weights 3 days a week, and doing some type of intense cardio the other 3. On top I do core and pushups every day.

When you are facing a PK, do you look for clues or just pick a side and dive?

For a Pk I look for body language, their approach to the ball on their run up, body positioning, and their visual cues.

Much has been made of the Founders Cup roll out, as a NPSL player how do you view that expansion?

The Founders Cup seems like an interesting addition to the NPSL, but I am curious as to how it would work since many teams have a base of college players, who happen to be in season during those months.

Do you see playing professionally in your future?

Yes, I aspire to play professionally as soon as possible. I believe that is every kids dream as they begin to play.

While from California, you've played college and league ball in Texas, so what about the state explains the massive expansion of soccer here?

With so many schools in Texas, all which have talented players, it is understandable that there is constant league expansion in Texas, since the demands for teams to partake in over the summer is very high.

Chips ahoy: crispy or chewy?

Unpopular choice, but chewy all the way.

What music are you listening to lately?

I am a huge fan of Electronic Dance Music.

Laredo Heat Expand to UPSL

Player Profile: Carlos Herrera