The NISA Season that Wasn't

 Note: This is for funzies, so take it with a grain of salt and a large alcoholic beverage. Or chocolate if you’re living a sober lifestyle.

 NISA’s 2020 Spring Season has been shut down, another sports league brought to a grinding halt by COVID-19. We’ll never know how it would have played out. Frustrating, I know. And in frustration, perhaps you shout out something like…

 “Isn’t there anyone who can tell me who would have taken the NISA trophy this spring?”

“Sure – I can tell you who would have taken the NISA trophy this spring.”

Lights, please.

And yes, those are clouds. We are heading into a dream sequence, so keep your arms inside the vehicle until the ride comes to a complete stop.

Going by the alphabet, let’s start with Cal United Strikers. With plenty of firepower, aggressive midfield play, and a solid, competent backline, Cal United would find a way to struggle every week. Enough results would go their way, yet at times they could frustrate the heck out of you. During one of these performances against LA Force, the usually happy and joyful play-by-play voice of the Strikers Simon Allen loses it in midstream, runs onto the field and starts yelling maniacally at the Cal United forwards, “Surely he’s going to shoot now! SURELY HE’S GOING TO SHOOT NOW!” The ref finally stopped play and surely showed Allen a red card. 

Chattanooga FC enjoyed a very sold first season as a professional club. Staying in the top half of the table for most of the spring season, playing in front of crowds that most lower league teams would be jealous of, CFC would punch a ticket to a playoff spot with a home win over 1904 FC. Good times, right? So why were the locals annoyed? In a word: Nashville hot chicken. OK, three words. If the members of the Chattanooga faithful got a nickel for every time visiting fanbases asked where to get the best hot chicken, they would hate the Red Wolves just as much (hah – didn’t see that coming, did ya?),  

Just fill in any gaps with imaginary friends. (Image courtesy of Youtube)

So yeah - Detroit City FC won lots of games, ran away from the rest of the league, blah de blahblahblah.  The more interesting aspect of the Spring Season was in the stands at Keyworth. Limited by a seating capacity of just under 8,000, the Northern Guard schemed up a way to increase this number: imaginary friends. First it was Invite an Imaginary Friend Night. Then those imaginary friends brought their friends. And so on. And so on. When the announced attendance was 27,394 for the Cal United Strikers game, things had gotten pretty weird – even by Northern Guard standards. So the decision was made to ban imaginary friends for the rest of the season. A few invisible tears were shed.   

So the LA Force crowds were practicing social distancing long before COVID-19, evidently. I know – low-hanging fruit. But the club would struggle for points and fans in stands during the spring season. And that’s a shame, because this is how many fans of lower league soccer want to see clubs built – from the ground up. This is an academy club that added a pro team at the top. The hope here is that the club can develop a following of a corps of passionate fans that can spread the word. Hey – they’re not all going to be funny.   

The Michigan Stars would continue to be a collective pain in the butt to play against, challenging offenses with their ability to take away each team’s best players. When Cal United came to Pontiac, the Stars put three men on Christian Thierjung right from the first moment. No, not the start of the game – as soon as he got off the bus. And in the parking lot. And into the locker room. Thierjung never actually got onto the pitch, and the Stars went with the rarely-used 7-1-0 lineup. But Cal United could only manage a nil-nil draw, as Gustavo Villalobos was swallowed up by Zanin Mahic’s hair.   

Only the first of many moments that ended up on tshirts.

Laney College Stadium would finally become that fortress for the Oakland Roots, and the club would make any opponent’s trip to Oakland a tough one. The road would cause some issues, but the club would keep themselves in the top half of the table throughout the spring. And the quick release of T-shirts to capture celebrated moments (like the Jack McInerney game-tying goal on opening night) would continue. A Matt Fondy wonderstrike against Detroit City – on a T-shirt. Taylor Bailey saves to PK against Cal United – on a T-shirt. Ariel Mbumba being subbed on in the 67th minute against LA Force – on a T-shirt. David Abdor taking a point blank shot to his junk – considered, but ultimately not on a T-shirt.

 The move from San Diego State’s stadium to Lincoln High School did not have the effect that 1904 FC – sorry, Ought Four – wanted as far as crowd support. As the season went on, the club would try different venues to get that intimate feel. Local parks. Parking lots. Mini golf courses. Against the Michigan Stars, they tried playing in a bowling alley. Didn’t manage much on the scoreboard (Tito Ramirez was bottled up at the snack bar by the Stars defense), but midfielder Christian Enriquez did bowl an impressive 187. Through it all, the Black Plague kept the faith - except when Enriquez missed an easy spare in the 9th frame. That almost broke them. 

In Stumptown, chasing a playoff spot would be a constant throughout the season. It would ultimately be not in the cards for the club, but they would be there right to the end. A home-and-home series with Detroit City to end the season would be Stumptown’s undoing. But here was one other storyline that hung over the season: the progress of the building behind one of the goals at OrthoCarolina Soccer Complex. When the Michigan Stars arrived, the siding had been completed. By the time of the Cal United game, some landscaping had been placed. Things looked good. Then came the Detroit City game, and an errant shot from George Chomakov sailed over the fence, crashed through an upper-story window, and blasted a hole through the roof. Deemed unfit to occupy, the building was razed – with new construction to start at the beginning of the fall season.

When the season ended in June, the table stood thusly:

Team                            Pts

Detroit City FC              987

Cal United Strikers         34

Chattanooga FC             31

Oakland Roots SC          29

Stumptown Athletic        24

San Diego 1904 FC         18

Los Angeles Force          16

Michigan Stars FC            9

(My math is impeccable, by the way).

 Since Cal United had already qualified for the playoffs due to the Fall Showcase, they somehow ended up having to face off against themselves in the semi-finals – much to the chagrin of the Oakland Roots! And that chagrin found its way onto a T-shirt. Playing itself to a nil-nil draw, Cal United managed to get past themselves on penalties.

In the other semi-final, it was Detroit City and Chattanooga FC hooking up for tense battle between old NPSL rivals. Evenly played throughout the first half, things got unraveled in the second half when the Northern Guard started chanting “Where’s your hot chicken?” which seemed to unnerve CFC. The floodgates opened, and DCFC was going to the finals!

Now it was down to Detroit City and Cal United. And in the final, the Strikers would pass and move with a veracity and determination that was impressive and almost led to a goal. But the final whistle would come, and both teams were without a goal. Extra time would be needed. For the Northern Guard, this meant extra extra smoke. A billowy blast would emanate from the stands, and slowly cover the entire field. Nobody could see a damned thing. Industrial fans would quickly be brought in to blow the smoke off the field. And when order was restored – the NISA trophy had disappeared!

Who’s laughing now? (image courtesy of Forbes.com)

Suddenly, the sound of wheels peeling out could be heard as a black limousine sped away. And leaning out the back window, Rocco Commisso held out the trophy, laughing.

So who took the NISA trophy? The New York Cosmos, of course.  

- John Howard-Fusco

If you enjoyed John’s approach to NISA in this article, you should check out his NISA podcast, the Knights Who Say NISA - available on the Protagonist Podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get podcasts.

My Best Ten and Me: Tommy Hodul

We sat down and asked Co-Founder and Director of PR/Comms for Oakland Roots,Tommy Hodul, to pick an ideal formation and select ten players he’d most like to play alongside. There were two caveats:

1. You are the Player/Manager and you have to plug yourself in

2. Any player selected must have been active in your lifetime…

My preferred formation is a 4-4-2 with one attacker that likes to drop deeper into Midfield in transition. I enjoy a 4-4-2 the most because I believe it is the formation that does the most to balance the skill level on the field. I like to give examples of the organizational shape of Leicester title run and Atletico Madrid when they won it. While both featured some great players neither had the best team in the league on paper the years they won. What took them over the top was an organized defensive shape and strong counter-attacks.

GK: Myself Since we are supposed to be player-managers. This was the position I played most of my life.

LB: Leighton Baines The definition of a pro’s pro. Someone who can deliver 10 assists a season from defense and will do anything for the crest he plays for.

CB: David Unsworth Part of the last Everton team to win a major trophy. Along with a player coming up Unsworth defines being an Evertonian. You can tell what the club means to him every time he speaks about it.

CB: Phil Jagielka One of the most liked players anywhere around. Phil scored the penalty to send Everton to the 2009 FA Cup final one of my best soccer memories ever. 

RB: Ali Krieger One of the nicest people off the field who turns into a beast when on it. AK has long been my favorite player in the game man or woman.

LW: Clint Dempsey Defines the way Americans used to play with the underdog grit. Also, I named my Dog Dempsey so I couldn’t leave him off the list.

John O’Brien, playing for Ajax.

CM: John O’Brien The 2002 World Cup played a big roll in me following in love with the game, I’ll never forget John’s goal. As well he lives in Oakland now and we see each other at Soccer Without Borders events regularly and he is just the nicest guy out there. 

CM: Mikel Arteta Let’s just say it would be a dream come true to see Everton land half as dominant a center midfielder again. What a special player he was and I think will become a great manager.

RW: Landon Donovan Again 2002 World Cup was huge for me and Landon’s goal vs Mexico was the biggest. As well his two short stints at Everton were magical for this American Toffee.

CF: Brian McBride My favorite player growing up and while he only played for Everton briefly, he was the reason I started following the club.

CF: Tim Cahill That man who would do anything for Everton. Defines what the club has been missing since he left. Nothing like a Cahill goal vs Liverpool.

NISA Week 2 Preview

John Howard-Fusco is half of the Knights Who Say NISA podcast. He dug into the upcoming weekend and has the preview of every match.

LA Force v Stumptown Athletic

Friday, 3/6 10:30PM ET

Jesse Owens Stadium, Cal State LA, Los Angeles CA

It’s an All-Cali Weekend as all three matches in NISA will be played on the left coast. LA Force is once again hosting some Friday night footy, with Stumptown Athletic making its first cross-country journey. The home team needs to find some offense, and possibly a few more fans in the stands. Facing Detroit City FC in its opening match was a tall order, but LA Force showed some capacity to press and create chances.

Stumptown demonstrated some offensive prowess in its opening draw with 1904 FC and look to continue their scoring ways. The midfield earned both goals last week, between Tate Robertson’s wonder strike off a free kick from distance and pacy Jalen Brown delivering the other.

Should Stumptown come away with a result, we must give this club some early consideration for being a potential playoff candidate.        

Oakland Roots v Michigan Stars FC

Saturday, 3/7 8:10PM ET

Laney College Football Stadium, Oakland CA

The Roots played a rock-‘em, sock-‘em 1-1 draw with Chattanooga FC last weekend, the highlight match of NISA’s opening card of games. And while Michigan Stars may not be the same level of opponent, their defense will deliver plenty of rock-‘em and sock-‘em. It will be interesting to see how the capacity home crowd will react to seeing their local lads get a little roughed up.

In comparison to last week’s game, don’t expect the same back and forth kind of action from Oakland. Expect Michigan to bog down the middle and look to counter. But with a poacher like Jack McInerney, the Roots may only need one chance to break through.   

The Roots produced a limited-edition T-shirt celebrating McInerney’s game-tying goal from last week. Just imagine what will happen if they win a game. This is the game they need to win.

1904 FC v Cal United Strikers FC

Sunday, 3/8 8PM ET

Lincoln High School, San Diego CA

Fifteen goals given up in six games during the fall, 1904 gave up two more in the opener against Stumptown Athletic. So who’s coming to the club’s home opener? Why, it’s Gustavo Villalobos, Christian Thierjung et al from Cal United – the club that handed Ought Four losses of 3-0 and 4-1 last fall. Yikes.

The good news is that it is 1904’s home opener, and playing their home games at Lincoln High School’s field should help create a more lively atmosphere. Will it help in the win column? That all depends if the club can do a similar job in slowing down Cal United that Michigan Stars did last week. It says here that’s not likely to happen.

With back-to-back games against 1904, along with Detroit City FC having two weeks off, Cal United has a chance to be the spring season’s early pace setters.

Dan Watches NISA: Week One

Each week, I’ll be writing a recap of the NISA matches, give my thoughts on the matches and give a short power ranking of the clubs at the end. All matches were watched on Mycujoo, because I don’t live within 500 miles of any NISA clubs. Matches will be in random order.

What a week 1! Great rollout for the league with solid attendance in two of four matches and close to 15,000 views of the matches through their online platform partner, Mycujoo. For the most part the broadcasts looked and sounded professional, offering a great connecting point for potential fans of the league. The matches were exciting and delivered goals, cards, and some late minute heroics. I, for one, enjoyed every second of this week’s matches, so let’s get into them.

Oakland 1 - Chattanooga 1

• Several production points and a general point about the pitch. First, Roots (as I guess I should have expected) had the best production of the week. The broadcast also featured the only REAL advertising I spotted this weekend. Even the opening lineups were sponsored. In the end, to survive you have to make money, Roots appear to be in the groove on that part. Laney looked good in the broadcast, with a large crowd, over 5k. But the FIELD. Ugliest field in the history of soccer. Just looked like trash. Gotta find a way to get onto a better rug.

• The match itself was a banger. Hella enjoyable. Both sides looked aggressive and hungry, so early in the season, with all the issues Chatta faced in the preseason, that’s exceptional.

• The goal for Chatta, how was McGrath THAT open? Defenders fell asleep on that one.

• The red card to Hines was the softest red I’ve seen. Yes, he tried to pull the ball from McGrath, but that happens 10 times a match. Defender was stalling to let his defense get into shape and the attacking player was trying to get the ball rolling. And that’s when the ref reaches into his back pocket, so the resulting bump between the players wan’t the trigger, it was the original struggle for the ball. I don’t get it. Shaped the entire rest of the match. Sucks.

• Jack McInerney is a bad man. Dangerous the entire match, multiple scoring chances. He will be a handful all season and I bet his kit will be a hot item for Oakland. The equalizer was a thing of beauty and was the best moment of Week one. If you haven’t seen it, skip to 5:40 and you’re welcome.

Stumptown Athletic 2 - San Diego 1904 2

• Didn’t expect this match to be as good as it was, but Stumptown looked better than I expected, especially considering their disappointing Fall campaign.

• On the production side, went with a solo announcer and dude seemed a little lonely. He was fine, but could have used someone to bounce conversation off. The camera angle was poorly chosen, with an empty field beyond the sideline, fans are part of the match, SHOW them - though it sounded pretty poorly attended on the feed.

• Stumptown kits look good. I like that pattern/gradient combo look. Solid. And SD1904 has maybe the blandest uniforms in NISA. White. Neat. Ok.

• Tate Robertson’s goal, what a banger. That was easily 30 yards out. Crushed it. 

• That first goal for San Diego was ugly. Just a ball in the scrum happening to fall into the net.

LA Force 0 - Detroit City FC 2

• Definitely the match everyone wanted to see on Mycujoo, drawing close to 6,000 views. Easily dwarfing the number of people there to see the match. LA needs to get things together and connect with their market. They are SLOW on social media and the shots posted on twitter of their stands showed a basically empty stadium. Some claimed it was close to a thousand and to those people I say, you’re nuts. I’d guess 400 max. And that included the guys from Michigan Stars who played the next day. If you can’t draw a crowd to see Detroit City come to town, I don’t understand.

• This match was a tale of two halves, with Detroit dominating possession in the first half and LA becoming the aggressor in the second half. The difference, DCFC converted their chances. The first goal resulted from a set piece, when a deflected ball was passed to Matt Lewis, who buried the shot.

• Both clubs pressed this entire match. It was FUN to watch.

• Roddy Green’s goal, which made little difference in the result, was beautiful. The result of Detroit’s press, he could have passed once in the box, but finished confidently. Dude signed his pro contract 5 days earlier. Ice cold.

• One player that caught my eye for Detroit was Tendai Jirira who is listed as a defender on the roster. He is silky smooth on the ball. He has a touch that won’t quit. I was very impressed with his play the entire match.

• Detroit is going to be very good this season.

California United 1 - 0 Michigan Stars

• So the announcer has European charm and gravitas, that’s fine. But did he have to constantly refer to the Michigan Stars as “the red men” the ENTIRE match. The red men sounds vaguely racist, though that wasn’t his intent. If anything, it just sounded dumb. What also sounds dumb is the other announcer calling NISA “N-I-S-A” the entire match. Everyone calls it NISA (nee-suh), get with it, dude.

• Crowd at the match looked legit, filled most of the stands, but would have loved to see a little more “soccer” things - flags, smoke, drums. Maybe there are bans at the stadium?

• Michigan Stars play HARD ASS defense. Aggressive tackles, studs up, teeth clattering challenges, two early yellow cards didn’t stop them from beating up Cal United the rest of the match. The stacked their lines most of the match, bunker style, 9 players against their own box, with a single roving attacking player trying to pick off a pass. I suspect they will end the season with the most cards AND give up the fewest goals.

• The goal for Cal United was interesting because the shot from Michael Bryant was from so far out. Far enough out that, if he was off target he would have been WAAAAYYYY off target. Instead he smashed it and the keeper couldn’t cleanly handle it, spilling the ball into the path of Kevin Jeon, who finished it off.

• Two Cal United players caught my eye. First, Gustavo Viallobos’ footwork and ball handling were a thing of beauty the entire match. The other was 15 year old Shane Kaemerie, who came on as a sub. He’s a product of Cal United’s academy and an exciting prospect for the club. You love to see the next generation.

Dan’s NISA Week 1 Power Rankings

1. Detroit City FC

2. Cal United

3. Stumptown Athletic

4. Chattanooga FC

5. SD 1904

6. Oakland Roots

7. Michigan Stars

8. LA Force

Editor’s Note: There was a point about who owns the rights to DCFC’s Matt Lewis. This was deleted when a twitter user corrected us.

Oakland first, always.

Nominated for Protagonist Club of the Year, Oakland Roots showed from day one their ability to connect with their city and its fans in ways that most grassroots clubs haven’t. We sat down with Edreece Arghandiwal, club cofounder, CMO, and one of the primary drivers of the young club’s branding. With year one in the books, Arghandiwal opened up about the club, their first year successes, and how Oakland will remain the primary focus in every decision moving forward.

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First season in the can, what went right? What could you have done better season one? 

2019 was a dream start for the Roots. People have asked us how we did it, and the answer is quite simple; Oakland did it. The Roots acted as a vehicle for the ideas, passion, and interest that already reside in our community. We not only sold out games, but were able to build an identity that is synonymous with Oakland. We had a team that represented the community, had incredible game day experiences, and built a safe place for people to just be themselves. There were many successes, but we will not stop there. I don’t think we will ever stop, because Oakland hasn’t ever stopped. Walt Disney said that Disneyland will never be done as long as there is an imagination. Roots aren’t quite Disneyland, but I hope you get the point. Diverse people, ideas, creativity, and culture exist in Oakland and as long as those things exist, we will always have to think differently. We are constantly looking at ways to challenge assumptions. We have an opportunity to do things the Oakland way. 

This past year, our team was left with one wish; to do even more in the place we love the most. 

What’s your favorite memory of this first season? 

At our first game, we shutdown East 10th street for a block party, and the response was overwhelming. We had local artists perform, food trucks serving food, good drinks from local breweries, and more. I remember being in the middle of the concert and hearing the chorus of one of the songs that was being performed, “O-O-O-O-Ohhh.” As I looked around I saw everyone throwing up an “O” for Oakland. I got emotional, and I won’t forget it ever. Our first ever game landed on my 30th birthday, so it was a perfect mesh of happenings. 

One of my favorite songs is Telegraph Ave. by Childish Gambino, and there is a part of the song where Gambino says “we’ll both be thirty soon in Oakland.” I always thought about the day I would turn 30 in Oakland, and it happened in a way that I could have never guessed. I am grateful. 

Jack McInerney was your 2019 offensive player of the year, how did having a player of his caliber on the club shape the offense this season? Will he be returning to the club next season? 

Jack is a helluva player and human being. His attitude and style scream Oakland, and we are blessed to have him in our group. We hope to see Jack return next season. Roster decision announcements will be made soon so stay tuned for those. 

Overall, the club was unable to get much momentum in the table in 2019. Did that play a role in the separation of Paul Bravo? Why was the decision made to move on? 

I will just point you towards the comment from our club President and my Co-Founder when the decision was made a month ago. “The entire front office is thankful for the work Paul put in to help build this team in the first season. He was a true professional throughout the year and is a pioneer for the Oakland Roots, join the club based on our vision. We wish Paul the best as he continues to serve the Bay Area soccer community with the De Anza Force and the California Thorns. He will always be a welcome member of this family.” 

Can you talk about the promotion of Jordan Ferrel and why he was the best candidate for your club? What are you expectations for his performance in the upcoming NISA season? 

I'll leave the roster and technical decisions to our technical staff, but I can say that we're excited to have Jordan Ferrell serve as our next head coach. Jordan has a lot of ties to this community, and he's a great choice to serve Oakland and lead our team. His passion and desire to see Oakland succeed is what makes this a perfect fit. 

The club drew well in your first season, how was that accomplished from a club-planned approach? 

Oakland has always had an appetite for the sport of soccer. It was only a matter of time for that craving to come to life. We wanted to build a club that embodied the principles of The Town. Oakland First, Always. This doesn’t have to mean you have to be from Oakland to be a fan of this team. “Oakland First, Always” means you appreciate and respect the arts, culture, and diversity. Roots is bigger than a club. It’s a movement, and a way of life. 

What approach does Oakland Roots take to maintain connection with the city and the fans? 

We listen, and we try to always live up to what we say. Being in Oakland means you have to be present. You have to listen, and you have to be about the action. You have to walk the walk in this city, and we plan to do just that. If we slip up along the way, I hope people hold us accountable. 

Our team made an effort to be at every major community event, not with the mission of converting folks to ticket buyers or season passes, but to genuinely connect and build commonalities. I am a believer in word-of-mouth marketing. People will spread the love, if they feel love. 

Early on we built a community advisory board of people that represented Oakland; the shakers and movers of our community. We rely on them to keep us on the right path. I am forever grateful for them. 

What’s in the works looking forward? 

As you might have seen we launched Project 51O a reserve team that will play in the NPSL and function as the clubs reserve team. A project is “an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular aim. For Roots, the aim is to help develop soccer and promote culture in the 51O. 

As much as the club has been about the team on the field, there’s been a tremendous amount of focus on brand identity. Can you talk about what went into that from a foundational perspective? What goals did you set for branding? 

Branding is not just about slapping a logo on a t-shirt. That’s the thing I hope people truly understand. A crest and an identity have to speak loudly about the people that wear it. It has to feel good associating with. Most importantly, it has to look good. Good design is a big part of our brand approach. We spent a lot of time developing our brand, because we care about it. Everything is done with intention...otherwise what’s the point? 

Several moodboards turned into think groups, and think groups turned into many crests. We landed on the crest because it embodied the color and diversity that exists in our community. The Oak Tree is a big part of the brand identity of the city, so it was a must-have on the crest. We want the crest and identity to be associated with city-pride, culture, arts, sports...LIFE. Soccer happens to be our vehicle, but Oakland Roots is a bigger idea. It’s a wave. 

Which gear-wearing celebrity thrilled you the most? 

Dame Dolla. Period. Dame is real Oakland. The man is genuine, cares about where he comes from, and is insanely humble despite the fame and fortune. You have to know where you come from in order to know where you are going. 

Can you talk about what makes Roots (as a brand), Oakland? What is Oakland style? 

Different. 

Looking towards Spring 2020, how can Roots continue the positive flow? What steps is the club taking to maintain momentum? 

Do more, do Oakland. Reach more people by spreading the message of love, community, and sports. 

Any potential friendlies on the horizon?

We are always looking at potential friendlies we can play but nothing to announce as of now on that front”

Club of the Year Nominee: Oakland Roots SC

As a staff, we sat down and discussed which clubs deserved the title “Club of the Year.” Working together over the last three weeks we came up with a list of five. This week, I’ll introduce each club and make the argument for your vote. Saturday morning, voting begins and will continue till the end of the year. January 1, we’ll announce our Protagonist Soccer 2019 Club of the Year. I hope you enjoy these articles and then vote for your club of choice. - Dan

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There’s a famous Supreme Court decision everyone loves to quote. You may have heard of it, but it happened in 1964, Jacobellis v. Ohio. In that case, Nico Jacobellis ran a movie theater and decided to show a movie the state of Ohio had deemed obscene. When they arrested him and charged him, he challenged the law, lost twice on appeal, and eventually took it all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reversed the decision, on the grounds that the Constitution didn’t allow regulation of pornography (the film wasn’t porn in our modern sense, just a very artsy French film with sex in it), unless it was “hardcore pornography.” Justice Potter Stewart, who ruled to overrule the lower court’s decision, issued a very quotable dissent when the decision was made. “"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."

“Knowing something when you see it” acknowledges that there are times in life when expressing something may be difficult, even though you know that it is correct. It is not a cop out, but rather a recognition that your gut feeling is correct, with or without the logic to back it up. And maybe it’s difficult to nominate a club that has struggled to produce points on the field and has existed for less than two years, but I know a nominee for club of the year when I see it. That club is Oakland Roots SC.

So let’s consider the case for Oakland Roots for club of the year. Without a doubt, the weakest point on that list is their performance on the field. With a league track record that is only 6 matches long, that isn’t much to go on. And what we do have is weak, points-wise. Roots ended the 2019 NISA campaign with only 3 points, all from draws. Without a win, it should come as no surprise that the club struggled in the goal differential category, ending the season at -3, second worst in the entire competition. But that’s where the negatives end and the narrative turns.

Oakland Roots managed to secure several big friendlies against south of the border competition, including Liga MX first division side, FC Juarez. Against Los Bravos, Roots struggled, yielding the first three goals in 12 minutes. However, for the next 80 minutes, the Oakland side held its own against the better club, finishing the match with a score of 4-2. Their second friendly continued that run, with a great victory over Ascenso MX (Mexican second division) leader CA Zacatepec. Zacatepec won the 2019 Apertura (first half of the league’s year) by a point and probably expected to easily beat Roots. The friendly ended with a scoreline of 2-0, with goals from Jack McInerney and Octavio Guzman. Competing and beating Mexican clubs won’t hurt your standing in the hearts of Californian soccer fans, where Liga MX is the most followed league, especially among Mexican Americans. The club was competing with clubs their local fans watched on tv. The comparisons were authentic and close to their heart.

And that Mexican American demographic is a big one in the city of Oakland. The population is 25% Latino and over 40% of the city speaks a language other than English, but that population is also White, African American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Cambodian. It’s a diverse population where soccer can serve as a uniting bond. That diversity was a central focus from the beginning with the club. Diversity is authentic to Oakland and that diversity would play a central role in every decision moving forward.

The club was founded by Benno Nagel and Edreece Arghandiwal; Nagel brought years of soccer experience, while Arghandiwal had worked in marketing, brand management, and tech. After deciding they wanted to form a soccer club, they chose NPSL’s Founders Cup as the destination. With FC’s demise, NISA was where Oakland would extend their roots. During the club’s founding, Nagel and Arghandiwal gathered a board of community advisors from diverse backgrounds within the city. Those advisors offered perspective and advice on the decisions that would shape the soccer club as it formed.

The primary focus was that the club would represent Oakland. They used a phrase to guide them “Oakland first, always” and that phrase would lead them to the creation of the club’s iconic logo and overall branding approach. Partnering with Matt Wolf, who has created multiple iconic brands in American soccer (including fellow Californian club, LAFC), they included the Jack London Oak (a symbol of the city, a 100-year old tree that stands in the center of the city) in the design. The club worked with local clothing brand Oaklandish to design a line of clothing that extended the look of the club into everyday apparel. And the branding was such a hit, it began to show up in hip-hop videos, particularly in California-native G-Eazy’s videos. Soon after NBA stars began wearing their apparel. Authenticity is hot.

That approach to authenticity extended to how the club built their roster, going after Oakland native Devante Dubose. When the announcement was made, it was done with an eye-catching video that was widely shared on social media. It featured shot after shot of Oakland, with Dubose wearing Roots gear, eventually ending with a final shot of the player standing in a parking lot with a car drafting in a circle around him. I’m not from Oakland, but it felt authentic. Roots followed that signing more Oakland-raised talent in Julio Cervantes and Yohannes Harish. From there they added more talent like Benji Joya, Victor Bernardez, and Jack McInerney. It was a club built to represent the people who would support it, the authenticity would flow from the stands to the pitch.

And the people did show up. More than any other club in the NISA showcase in the fall of 2019, Oakland showed up for the club’s home matches. Roots averaged over 5,000 fans a match, putting their attendance over the vast majority of USL Championship clubs. The club worked to build on the fan experience, including a season-ending hip-hop show at the final match.

We often talk about how bad branding is so prevalent in American soccer. We scoff at outsiders buying rights to cities and then fumbling basic decisions on how to brand, staff, and run their club. So maybe in 2019 we should trumpet one that got it right, because Oakland Roots nailed it. By focusing on the city they loved, the founders created a club that fans could love. Oakland Roots represents the authenticity, diversity, and the unique makeup of Oakland, California. You should vote for Roots, because just like Justice Potter said, you’ll know it when you see it, and you can see it in Oakland. Oakland First, Always.

- Dan Vaughn

Oakland Roots Bet on NISA over Founders Cup

On June 10th, Miami FC and Cal United Strikers, both former NPSL sides who had expressed desire to jump into the upcoming Founders Cup, declared their intentions of instead joining National Independent Soccer League (NISA). The news sent shockwaves through the soccer community, who had been stirred up and excited about the upcoming NPSL Pro League.

Up to this point, NISA has been more fluff than anything else. Mostly announcements of potential sites, without many details on clubs, playing sites, or even names of clubs. Even up to this point, aside from clubs that have defected from other leagues, we know nothing about the clubs who will play in the upcoming season, aside from the cities. Well, we can add one more fact to what we know, another club joining from another league.

Today, Oakland Roots announced their intention of skipping Founders Cup and instead joining NISA in the fall. According to the press release, “Roots leadership made a collective decision to focus on NISA as our preferred path forward. We have communicated our intent to the organizing body of the Founders Cup, as well as its constituent members.” The press release gave little details on the why the decision was made and when Protagonist Soccer reached out to the club, we received a non-commital answer to our questions. “Roots distributed a statement to media that can be found on our website. We appreciate the questions, but will decline further comment at this time.” That statement, by the way, can be found here.

Where this leaves the NPSL Founders Cup is hard to read. Losing three clubs to another league has to be a punch in the mouth for league leadership. We’ve reached out to that leadership and have yet to receive response. What we do know is that the West has lost a big name club who has made a fantastic splash into the American soccer market. Their branding, marketing, and overall professionalism has many in excited about their opening season. It’s a big get for NISA. NISA Commissioner John Prutch publicly stated that “We’re excited about Oakland Roots' intentions to join NISA and will work closely with them through the application process.’”

NISA has been fairly tight-lipped aside from sparse social media posts. Some of the owners are more outgoing with other members of the media, but Protagonist Soccer has made attempts to connect with the league. If the league responds, we will communicate that to our readers.

Now we wait. What will happen next? Will we see any of the other dominos fall or if the NPSL Founders Cup can right the ship? Is it Soccer Wars all over again?

- Dan Vaughn

Organic and Raw: Oakland’s All Natural Sports Brand

“You get everything organic and you get everything raw, because that’s what the Roots is, its real, its reality. Now imagine a team that looks like that.”

— Devante Dubose, right back for the Oakland Roots Sports Club

Everyone in America knows Oakland, CA. The city’s rich and diverse culture has permeated multiple facets of American culture from sports and politics to hip-hop and car culture. But with the recent and future abandonments of the major sports franchises a big hole is left for the professional sports fan. Enter the Oakland Roots Sports club, whos phenomenal branding has given the team the potential to not only make a splash in the bay area, but across the globe. “We are really filling an important gap, with the other sports teams leaving,” said co-founder and director of brand development and marketing, Edreece Arghandiwal, he added “I think that there is an opportunity for us to really be the team in Oakland, along with the A’s and the other [soccer] clubs that exist. We can’t lose sight of the fact that you can't expect Oakland to love you because you are in Oakland. You have to be bigger than that and you have to get out in the city for it to really work.”

The club will kickoff in 2019 with the NPSL Founders Cup, but the Oakland pro soccer movement began years before that. “We were a bunch of guys that wanted to see pro soccer in oakland. That vision over the past two to three years turned into something that organically happened. Now we are here,” said Edreece. But where is here? For the Roots, here is six months out from kicking a ball, it is a brand that is getting national and global recognition and it is the ethos “Oakland first, always.”

Signature Slogans

“Federal reserve your cabbage, you don’t deserve to have it, curb your habit. A fictional farce and fairy tales, I know you very well, and rise to the top like Ariel.”

— Del the Funky Homosapien

Building a brand should be a long process. While designers may be able to throw out various designs that look aesthetically pleasing, if it doesn’t reflect the city or community, it’s just another brand. For the Oakland Roots Sports Club taking time to really think about what it means to be an Oaklander is what made the difference from creating a crest to developing a brand that could be embedded within Oakland culture. “We spent two and a half to three years interacting with the community, understanding perspectives, talking with stakeholders about what they see in a football club/ organization that just isn’t about soccer, but about impacting and giving back to the city we love the most,” said Edreece. The Roots organization wanted to ask the right questions and wait for the right answers. And Oakland answered.

“The Roots doesn’t really have a brand. The roots is just a culmination of ideas and things that are real Oakland. It’s not a facade, it’s not smoke and mirrors, this is us.”

— Edreece Arghandiwal

Once the concept of the Roots was developed it was time to put that information into effect and create the image of the brand. Being good friends with famous Nike graphic designer Matthew Wolff, Edreece pitched the idea of what would become the iconic crest of the Oakland Roots. “I think soccer branding has been really traditional in the past and we wanted to think outside the box and pay homage to the city of Oakland that has always thought outside the box and have always been movers and shakers in their own respect,” said Edreece, he added “[the brand] needed to reflect diversity, it needed to reflect color and it need to reflect what we felt was important, which is the grassroots, focusing on the community and building things from the ground up. That is the essence of what we built the brand upon.”

The crest launched in October, 2019 and went on to create a media frenzy. Fans were blown away by the design and it began to earn plaudits from the soccer community and national coverage from multiple media outlets. In the center lies the famous Jack London oak tree, which has been a symbol of Oakland for over a century and is featured on many prominent Oakland-based brands and the Oakland city flag. Embedded within the all black oak tree is the shape of Oakland city. All the roots of the oak tree kaskade to bottom of the crest, with a colorful mosaic, that not only pops off the surface, but embodies the cultural diversity within the city of Oakland.

It’s safe to say that the club became one of the most popular brands in grassroot soccer, before it even kicked a ball. Currently the club is in the midst of developing its culture, generating a fan base and finding ways to make a difference within its community.

Gettin’ it

“You should be gettin it, everything you want, everything you dreamed of, never have to front.”

— Too $hort

Now that the brand is out and the club is six months out of playing in the Founders Cup, it's time to develop the club and grow the brand that had such a successful launch. The common idea though, is that every step taken needs to build upon the ethos that the club set in place. When it comes to business partnerships, player signing and the continuous development of the brand it must be “Oakland first, always.”

The building process continued with the partnering of Oakland-based companies: Oaklandish, a creative clothing company that reflects civic pride, and Athletic Club Oakland, a sports bar designed for the passionate Oakland sports fan. “The biggest winning point was fact that these organizations already have an incredible presence in Oakland and they are true to the identity of the city,” commented Edreece about the initial partnerships. These business partners will be crucial to developing the professional soccer scene in Oakland, but soccer culture has been thriving in the bay area for many years. The city hosts multiple amateur and youth clubs and the Roots organization looks to be a support system for all of soccer in the community. Hopefully, allowing any Oakland-based player to one day play professionally in the city they grew up in.

The club finally took to announcing the first player signing for the professional team. Devante Dubose, a right back who was raised in Oakland, dreamed of one day becoming a professional athlete.“I didn't even start with soccer in Oakland. I was just trying to be a professional in everything,” said Devante. “At the age of seven my mom put me in soccer. It was the culture and the family I was around at the time. [Soccer] stayed with me, it chose me.” Devante went on to play for Virginia Tech and was eventually drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2014. After that, Devante spent time with the San Jose U23s and eventually played for multiple USL PDL sides before signing a professional contract with Phoenix Rising FC.

On the field Devante will bring a plethora of experiences to the locker room. Those experiences range from life in Oakland to the various playing experiences he has had. “[My experience] gives me a chance to tell a story to those who don't have much of an understanding, because they haven't [played professionally] themselves . This allows me to have common ground with everyone who steps foot in the locker room,” said Devante. He added “my experience weighs heavy and I’ll be able to find the common ground with the team emotion and I hope that I can be one of the leaders day to day.” Devante isn’t just a new signing or the first signing, he is the embodiment of the dreams of all the Oakland youth, who hope to one day play professional soccer.

Oakland, Heavy in the Game

“Be true to this game and this game will be true to you.”

— Richie RIch

What makes the Oakland Roots Sports Club so different is its dedication to the community and the game of soccer. The organization believed in being something different than other soccer brands in the nation. Yes, other clubs have great crests created by great designers. And while the Roots organization made one of those partnerships with Matthew Wolff, it also took many steps in differentiating themselves from other soccer brands. Oakland is unlike any city, therefore the Roots must be unlike any other club.

The differentiation starts with the moniker, Sports Club. “ Part of the decision in going with sports club, versus soccer club or football club, was because we wanted everyone to feel involved,” said Edreece, he added “ we want the Oakland Roots Sports Club to be the brand for not only for the soccer team, but [a brand] for the community to identify with.” As we all know, soccer is not the most popular sport in America and with other dominant Oakland sports franchises such as: the A’s, Warriors and the Raiders, it would be smart to include the everyday sports fan as well as the passionate soccer fan and the ultras.

With the impending departure of the Warriors to San Francisco and the Raiders to Las Vegas, it's important for the Roots to make a stand in the city. “ Our differentiation point is the fact that we are Oakland first, always,” said Edreece about being different than the other clubs in the city. He added “that is our tagline, that  is our belief, that is our vision and everything extends from that. From the way we create ideas to the way we put players on the field, hire people and interact with the community.”

To become a global brand, the Oakland Roots Sports Club must also differentiate themselves from the other soccer clubs in the world. To start that path, the Roots organization did something remarkable with its announcement of Devante Dubose, raising that bar on how to announce player signings.  The Roots branding team took three hours, drove around the city and found spots to video Devante in. “ We didn't plan anything. We hoped in the car jumped out in certain areas,” said Edreece, about the process of shooting the video. He added “Devante was naturally and organically communicating with the people in the community, nothing was forced. It was a sense of us not pushing the brand and allowing Oakland to be the brand itself.” The video itself was out of this world: the intro music that blended into hip-hop, the visuals of the city, the people that represented the community and Devante. But the perfect finish was the drifting car, which was an element that was added completely on the fly. Devante called an old friend and on his lunch break he came out. “This was the last piece of Oakland culture, this is everything, this was how you tie it all together. Collectively we put together something beautiful,” said Devante.

Currently the Oakland Roots Sports Club has only taken a few steps in its path to glory. But with each step the organization makes a stride towards global recognition, and while the club desires that recognition, its main purpose is to be a vehicle for change in the community and to continue to give back to the city it loves most. To develop the brand and culture, this club planted its roots in Oakland, because it’s “Oakland first,always.”

“The connection part, the faith, the spirituality, the inclines and declines on the field, those are the values individually and collectively. When you talk about the Oakland Roots: you talk about the connection between the community and the people. This is why we can do one thing and get a great response.The Oakland Roots is going to be one of those organizations that is a dynasty for years and for decades”

— Devante Dubose

- Steven Ramirez