Protagonist Picks: 7/21-7/26
Guest picker this week is D’alary Dalton. She’s an accomplished coach and club owner, let’s see if she can continue guest picker dominance.
Week 1 was Mario Alcala, week 2 was Danny Woodfill.
Ryan's July 4th Weekend Preview
UPSL Southeast Conference - Florida Central West, Division One
#1 Celta USA vs #5 Celta Gunners, Friday, July 3rd
In a battle of the two sides from the Celta Orlando organization, Celta USA will look to extend their lead in the Florida Central West, while Celta Gunners will be attempting to take advantage of Florida Tropics 2 stunning loss last night to Sportsparadize SA by winning and moving within a point of the conference lead. Expect a wide open match and attacking play between two sides extremely familiar with one another, but I’ll give USA the “home-pitch” advantage in this one, finding a late goal to win 3-2 and remain atop the standings.
#3 CFL GOSA Spurs vs #4 Sportsparadize SA, Sunday, July 5th
Sportsparadize SA played the spoiler role last night, stunning Florida Tropics 2 and, at least briefly, denying the Lakeland side a chance at the conference lead. SSA will look to continue surprising higher ranked sides through the weekend, with a date against CFL GOSA on Sunday afternoon. A win for either side could see them climb as high as the conference lead, a draw would leave them both in the hunt with ground to gain, while a loss could seat them desperately close to the bottom of the rankings. Look for SSA to initially carry Thursday night’s momentum to an early lead Sunday, but GOSA to battle back for 2-2 stalemate between the sides.
#7 The Mix SC vs #6 Diaspora United CC, Sunday, July 5th
Two newcomers to the league, Diaspora United and The Mix have yet to find a win between them, but each side has looked more competitive in the most recents weeks. Diaspora battled Celta Gunners to a 3-3 draw while The Mix acquitted themselves in a close loss to Florida Tropics 2. The Mix will assert themselves early with a couple goals, but Diaspora United will earn their first win of their history, flashing their offensive ability throughout the second half to claim a come from behind 3-2 victory.
UPSL Southeast Conference - Florida Central East, Division One
#7 Macca Ballers FC vs #5 Leg A-Z Soccer International, Saturday, July 4th
Macca Ballers dropped a heartbreaker at home to Clay County last week, while Leg A-Z claimed a draw against Orlando Rovers. This week, Macca again plays host, and this time, they’ll hold off the visitors for 2-1 win and climb three-four spots in the rankings of the Florida Central East.
#1 Orlando FC Barca vs #2 Sporting Orlando, Sunday, July 5th
If there’s a must-watch match around the league this weekend, it’s this feature between the two early front-runners for the Florida Central East title, OFC Barca and Sporting Orlando. Sporting opened their season account last week with a 4-2 victory against a game FK Orlando side, and their National Player of the Week award winner Vander Lee accounted for three of their four scores. OFC Barca has shredded through lesser competition the past two weeks, but should be just as lethal in the attack vs Sporting, boasting National Player of the Week nominee Victor Rojas in the attacking third of their lineup. OFC Barca hosts the match, and they'll/ use that narrow advantage to score a 5-3 win over Sporting Orlando in this one, with Rojas claiming another three scores and finally winning NPOTW honors.
UPSL Central Conference - South, Division Two
#3 Almeyda FC 2 vs #6 APTX CDF, Friday, July 3rd
Almeyda seemed to find their stride last week, tearing La Maquina apart in a 4-1 victory. Look for more of that offensive output from the Lions tonight when they host a winless APTX CDF side that looked largely short of offensive options in a 3-0 shellacking at the hands...er...feet of Houston FC II in their previous outing. Give me Almeyda FC 2 in a 3-1 win over APTX.
ROJA League Opening Weekend, Friday, July 3rd
Game One: NTX Rayados vs Irving FC
Just recently, on June 21st, Irving FC “Los Gallos” of the UPSL, put Arlington FC to the sword in a 4-1 win for the Longhorn Tournament Final. They have a solid squad and look to make their mark in their ROJA League opening fixture against NTX Rayados. Rayados are an exciting team from Dallas, out of the North Texas Premier Soccer League and have five league titles under their belt. This is a team which regularly participates in the US Open Cup as well, despite playing in a USASA 5th division league, and might be a dangerous addition to the ROJA competition. To be honest, despite the higher league play Irving FC participate in, I would not be surprised to see NTX Rayados take this one in an energetic 3-2 match.
Game Two: Inocentes FC vs Denton Diablos FC
It’s hard to be more excited about this matchup. Denton’s first season in the NPSL was a fine one, with the club finishing the season with 9 wins, only 1 spot back from winning their division. The high powered attack of the Diablos produced an incredible 43 points in 12 matches. That was best in their division, and second in the South Region behind Miami FC. This is a club that knows how to score. Facing them, from the UPSL, is Inocentes FC, a club that Protagonist has written about extensively. Since their entry into the league in the 2018 Spring season, Inocentes has gone a combined 27-8-7, never finishing lower than second in their conference. There’s a pedigree at this club that is unmatched in the vast majority of American amateur soccer. So I’m all about this matchup and can’t wait for this match. I see Inocentes taking this game 2-1.
Game Three: Fort Worth Vaqueros FC vs Diablos Estudiantes
With the advantage of training with the Diablos first team for some time already this year, and the experience of last week’s scrimmage opportunity, look for the youthful Estudiantes side to gain an early advantage and take a 2-0 lead into the half. From there, it will be all Vaqueros as the 2019 NPSL Lonestar Conference Champions dig deep into their disciplined experience and pull off a 3-2 comeback victory.
Ryan's Weekend Recap
UPSL Action
Las Vegas Showcase
Heartland Super Cup
UPSL ACTION
FC Harrington 4 - 3 Real Irving CD
The weight of humidity that hung in the air on Friday night in Mansfield, Texas may have lulled the gathered fans into assuming that they were in for a sluggish match. FC Harrington and Real Irving CD quickly dispatched that notion with a high scoring tilt, kicked off by the visitors from Irving’s opening goal in just the second minute. Given a free kick along the left boundary roughly ten yards back of the midfield line, Real Irving drove a deep cross toward the center of the field, where the forward was just able to reach out a toe in a leaping effort for a magical touch that lifted the ball over the Harrington keeper into the top left corner of the goal. FC Harrington battled back, earning a chance with a penalty in the 20th minute, which league player of the week candidate Papa Ndoye deftly put away for the early equalizer. Real Irving would take the lead again in the 28th minute when a well-timed through pass was deflected by the outstretched foot of a Harrington defender, but fell fortuitously to the Irving forward, now 1 v1 with the Harrington goalkeeper. The forward coolly dribbled around the keeper’s diving effort before slotting home the score. A Real Irving cross from the right side of the attack to an unmarked teammate providing a strong header from directly in front of the net in the 35th minute extended the Real Irving lead to 3-1 at the half.The hosts returned for the second half clearly intent on dictating the pace of the match and controlling possession, displaying a more disciplined approach to their attacking play and a willingness to better spread the opposition across the pitch with patient movement of the ball both forward, and now increasingly backward and lateral, passing. The patience and discipline paid off for FC Harrington in the 66th minute when they dispossessed Real Irving along the left boundary and quickly flipped the field of play with a through ball down the line and a cross to Ndoye in center against spread-thin defense. Ndoye got a step on the one marked defender and drove a right-footed shot across his body and into the bottom left corner of the goal for his, and Harrington’s, second score of the night. Three minutes later, Real Irving would drop to ten men on a red card, and FC Harrington seized upon the numbers advantage with increased pressure, sensing the opportunity to equalize. They’d find it, in the 88th minute, again at the penalty spot, with Real Irving keeper guessing correctly on the placement of Ndoye’s attempt, but the FC Harrington forward’s shot was too quick for the keeper to reach in time and the score was now knotted at 3 goals apiece.
Given seven minutes of extra time, FC Harrington needed just two of those minutes to earn a corner, where Josh Irwin would beat his defender to meet the service from Francisco Vidal and drive an emphatic header home for the hosts’ fourth goal and their first lead of the night. The lead would hold for the final five minutes, and the newly double-promoted (from D3 to D2 after the Fall 2019 season, then to D1 due to Covid-19 attrition) FC Harrington claimed both the win and, for now, the top spot in UPSL’s Central Conference - North, Division One.
Leg AZ Soccer International 1 - 1 Orlando Rovers
LAZSI couldn’t pull away from a game Rovers side in Orlando in their season opener, leaving the sides splitting points and huddled together near the bottom of the pack in the Southeast Conference - Florida Central East, Division One standings.
OFC Barca 7 - 1 Royal Palms SC
It continues to be a rough welcome to the league for the newcomers from Palm Coast as Royal Palms SC couldn’t find any answers defensively for OFC Barca’s player of the week nominee Victor Rojas’ four goals, falling in a very lopsided loss and claiming sole possession of the bottom of the conference standings.
Clay County SC 2 - 1 Macca Ballers FC
The North Florida outlier this season in a Central Florida dominated conference, Jacksonville-suburb-based Clay County SC came away with three points in the season opener between them and Macca Ballers FC.
Diaspora United CC 3 - 3 Celta Gunners
Diaspora United avoided opening their first season in the league with three straight losses by surviving a high scoring competition from Celta Gunners to claim a draw. The Gunners now have two ties on the season and will have to wait til next week to see if they can get a conference victory.
Sporting Orlando 4 - 2 FK Orlando
Player of the Week award winner Vander Lee paced his Sporting Orlando side Saturday evening, scoring three of his club’s four goals. Sporting would each and every one of those scores, as the Central Florida league stalwarts found expansion club FK Orlando a worthy opponent in a high scoring match.
Athletic Houston FC 4 - 0 Texas Hawks
Athletic Houston played spoiler in the Texas Hawks’ season opener, gifting their intra-city rival with a -4 goal differential a place at the bottom of the standings after a dominant display at Campbell Road Sports Park.
Barcelona School of Excellence 2 - 6 Houston FC
Barcelona School of Excellence played Athletic Houston to a confidence-building draw the previous week, but they’ll be searching for that confidence well again this week after hosting Houston FC at the Farm League Field. The visitors, lead by player of the week nominee Tim Ugo’s two goals and an assist, made quick work of the hosts to collect another three points and maintain a 2-point lead in the standings on Athletic Houston.
East Valley FC 4 - 2 FC Arizona U23
Newly re-named East Valley FC (formerly MSC United) took all three points in the opening match of the hastily reconfigured (due to Covid-19) Southwest Conference season in 4-2 victory over newly re-branded FC Arizona’s younger lineup.
Arctic Rush 4 - 0 MatSu United FC
If Arctic Rush was shaking off any ill-effects from their season opening loss to Alaska Timbers the previous week, they seemingly needed only the opening few seconds to do so in soundly defeating MatSu United FC (formerly Alaska City FC) by four goals sending a clear message that they’ll remain in the hunt for a second consecutive conference title.
The Mix Sports Club 2 - 3 Florida Tropics 2
While their first team takes a hiatus in 2020, the Florida Tropics’ 2 -side appears to have borrowed the 2019 Spring UPSL National Champions’ penchant for never losing. The Lakeland/Auburndale side collected another three points in a competitive match versus expansion side The Mix Sports Club, and continue to chase Celta USA for the lead in the Southeast Conference - Florida Central West, Division One standings.
Sportsparadize SA 0 - 2 Celta USA
Another week, another match, another win, another three points and a continued lead in the standings for Celta’s USA side. They’ll face stiffer competition next week when they match up against their Celta Gunners counterpart.
FC Arizona 0 - 3 Olympians FC
Not the greatest of opening weekends for FC Arizona, as their first team followed up their U23 side’s loss to East Valley FC with a defeat of their own, getting throttled by as of yet unannounced expansion side Olympians FC.
Crush FC 3 - 1 Panther United FC
Crush FC continue to impress in their league debut in the Central Conference - South’s Division Two. With their 3-1 victory over Panther United, the Crush now sit alone atop the standings while boasting an undefeated record, 6 points, and a +6 goal differential.
FC Sharp Keys 2 - 2 Junior FC
Newly promoted side FC Sharp Keys of Fort Worth opened their inaugural division two campaign with a 2-2 draw versus Dallas-based Junior FC.
La Maquina 1 - 4 Almeyda FC 2
Almeyda’s second team recovered nicely from their season opener loss last week, throttling La Maquina en route to a commanding 4-1 victory. A victory this weekend against struggling APTX side would allow Almeyda within striking distance of contention for the conference title alongside Houston FC 2 and Crush FC.
LAS VEGAS SHOWCASE
With the NPSL and USL League 2 cancelling their 2020 seasons altogether due to Covid-19, and UPSL approaching start or resumption of play on a club by club, division by division, conference by conference, many teams across the three national leagues that still wish to play on the pitch have been left to adjust creatively. Three teams, the NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends, the USL League 2’s Colorado Rush, and the UPSL’s Sporting Arizona FC, played a weekend showcase hosted by the Legends in Las Vegas this past weekend:
Game One: Las Vegas Legends 2 - 2 Colorado Rush
A tale of two halves in the opening match, with the first ending scoreless between the sides. Early in the second, the hosts, having already played a few matches earlier in the year in the NPSL’s Southwest Conference before the season’s cancellation, opened a 2-0 lead by the 66th minute. But Colorado Rush would answer with a goal of their own in the 75th minute then secure the equalizer in the 86th.
Game Two: Colorado Rush 3 - 0 Sporting Arizona FC
Much like Game One, the two sides would use the first half to feel out their unfamiliar, inter-league, competition, then attempt to open up the attack in the second half once they’d gained a better feel for the opposition. For Sporting Arizona FC, the chances wouldn’t quite fall their way, while Colorado Rush scored in rapid succession in the 63rd and 66th minutes, then tucked in an insurance goal in the 87th for the victory.
Game Three: Las Vegas Legends 1 - 2 Sporting Arizona FC
Flipping the script on the previous days of competition, the goals came early in the final match of the weekend. Las Vegas Legends converted a penalty chance in the 14th minute for the initial lead, but Sporting Arizona FC would counter with a penalty conversion of their own in the 22nd. Then, in the 31st minute, Sporting’s Kamani Stewart gathered a cleared corner attempt outside the penalty area, dribbled left across three advancing defenders, cut inside between two of them and around the third and delivered a strike from a couple yards still beyond the penalty box for an impressive score and the Sporting Arizona lead.The rest of the first half, and the entirety of the second, would play out as a scoreless slugfest with few real chances generated by either side, and the visitors from Mesa, Arizona would walk away with the victory. Finish:
1. Colorado Rush (1-1-0, 5 GF, 2 GA, 4 Pts)
2. Sporting Arizona FC (1-0-1, 2 GF, 3 GA, 3 Pts)
3. Las Vegas Legends (0-1-1, 3 GF, 4 GA, 1 Pt)
HEARTLAND SUPER CUP
Another unique competition taking place to fill the void left by the cancellation of national, regional and even metropolitan league seasons across the country is the Heartland Super Cup. Comprising teams based across six states from at least as many leagues, the HSC is taking place over six weeks of play, with sixteen teams competing in four distinct groups, the winners of which will advance to a final four semi-final and final.
The Kansa City Region kicked off with a match between two of the more notable clubs in the KC metro area, Sunflower State FC and Santa Fe Wanderers. Salvatore Sesti reports:
Sunflower State FC 2 - 1 Santa Fe Wanderers
The first match of the tournament featured the marquee match-up of two strong teams.The Santa Fe Wanderers, an established force in the Kansas City area with a history of success in tournaments and league cups, against Sunflower State FC, the new kids on the block taking the region by storm with win after win against some impressive opponents.
The game started off disjointed, both teams showing some nervous energy. There were a few bad giveaways on defense that led to early chances on both sides. Santa Fe Wanderers looked crisp in possession but could not get anything going in the final 3rd of the pitch. Sunflower State on the other hand, looked sloppy on the ball to begin with but they showed their quality very soon.
After an extended period of time played in the middle 3rd, there was a change of possession on the wing that led to SSFC getting in behind the Wanderers’ defense, Nick McDonald beat another man and was through on goal when he was taken down from behind in the box. The whistle blew and he took the penalty, coolly slotting it home to the bottom left corner.
1-0 SSFC
The Wanderers wanted to get back in the game quickly, and pushed up the field after the restart to try and find an equalizer, but there was a giveaway that led to a fast break the other way for SSFC. Nick McDonald once again found himself in front of goal, and this time from open play, made it 2-0 SSFC
After this, SSFC began to take control of the game. They played the ball around without too much stress, despite the Wanderers employing the high press to try and win it back. For the rest of the half it looked simple for them. That is, until the high press paid off and Santa Fe Wanderer Fwd Dominic Harrington picked up the ball in the middle of the park. He was closed down quickly by SSFC but before he could be dispossessed, he ripped a wonder strike from about 35 yards out that surprised Goalkeeper Sam Glass. Call it luck or skill, it was needed for the Wanderers to get back in the game. 2-1.
SSFC’s quickness in transition from defense to attack in the first half had caused Wanderer defenders to make split decisions that led to mistakes. It could have easily been 3 or 4-1 at the break. Santa Fe knew this and came out of halftime firing on all cylinders.
The Wanderers looked dangerous. Their passing started to pull apart Sunflower State and there were a few chances that could have easily tied it up. The best of which was after Santa Fe won a free kick right outside the 18. The shot itself careened into the Sunflower State wall, but the Wanders recovered the ball on the wing and, while the cross was blocked by GK Sam Glass, it led to a chance right at the six. The Wanderer forward tried to elevate the rebound over the GK but instead it skied over the bar.
After Sunflower State weathered the initial storm, the game entered a lull. You could tell players were not fully match fit.
With about 10 minutes left to go in the game, the Wanderers found a second wind and started to press once again to find an equalizer. This led to a more open game with both sides getting some good opportunities. With a few minutes left there was an incident where there was a foul not called when a Wanderer winger took down a SSFC defender. This led to a confrontation and a stoppage of play by the referee where players were needed to be restrained by teammates. No players were ejected, but the break in play allowed Sunflower State to compose themselves and hold off the Wanderers until the final whistle blew.
- Written by Salvatore Sesti
Other Kansas City Region Matches:
United Kansas City FC 2 - 0 Fountain City FC
Santa Fe Wanderers 6 - 0 Fountain City FC
Sunflower State FC 7 - 1 United Kansas City FC
Current Kansas City Region Standings:
1. Sunflower State FC, 6 Pts
2. Santa Fe Wanderers, 3 Pts
3. United Kansas City FC, 3 Pts
4. Fountain City FC, 0 Pts
Southeast Region (Played in Springfield, MO & Springdale, AR) Matches:
Springfield Demize Reserves 3 - 0 Arkansas Pumas FC
Barilleros 4 - 3 Arkansas Wolves FC
Springfield Demize Reserves 3 - 1 Barilleros
Arkansas Pumas FC 2 - 0 Arkansas Wolves FC
Current Southeast Region Standings:
1. Springfield Demize Reserves, 6 Pts
2. Barilleros, 3 Pts
3. Arkansas Pumas FC, 3 Pts
4. Arkansas Wolves FC, 0 Pts
Southwest Region (Kicks off on 07/11/20):
Garden City Potrillos
Atletico Liberal FC
Dodge City Toros
FC Wichita U20
North Region (Kicks off on 07/11/20):
Iowa Raptors FC
Iowa Raptors Reserves
Springfield FC
Omaha Kings FC
Ryan’s Weekend Recap
UPSL
In UPSL Division One action, 2020 newcomer Alaska Timbers kicked off The Last Frontier Conference season against 2019 Conference champion Arctic Rush. If there were any nerves for the league rookies, it certainly didn’t show in their on-the-pitch performance.
In the eighth minute, Arctic was dispossessed of the ball after a promising sequence in the attacking half, and the Timbers countered with a through pass through the middle to a just barely onside forward who split the nearest defenders, then calmly slotted away the opening goal of the match in a 1v1 with the Rush goalkeeper. The Timbers would take full advantage of the momentum switch from there on in the first half, seizing on a sloppy clearance by Arctic on a Timbers corner to slip a goal through heavy traffic in the box for their second score. Three minutes later, a near deja ‘vu moment for the Timbers as they crossed a free kick opportunity from the near corner into the box, Rush made the initial touch, but again with a poor clearance, and Timbers struck for their third goal into an all but wide open net.
The second half would see Timbers continue to dominate possession with sustained attacking sequences of play, clearly using their advantage on the scoreboard to work on their hold-up and crossing play while wearing down the flustered Arctic defense chasing the ball. In the 56th minute, the Timbers would slip a through pass into the penalty area, where the forward chipped the keeper for Portland Timbers Alaska affiliate to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Arctic would find some attacking rhythm late, due in large part to the tireless efforts of their forwards and wings chasing plays back deep int the defensive half and countering together down the wide boundaries of the pitch. They were rewarded with a goal to salvage some positives going into their next match, while the Timbers, for now, are certainly sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat for the conference title in 2020.
Alaska Timbers 4, Arctic Rush 1
Up Next:
Arctic Rush @ MatSu Utd FC (Formerly Alaska City FC), Sunday, June 28th
Alaska Timbers vs MatSu United FC, Sunday, July 12th
Other UPSL Action
Division One:
Division Two:
UWS League 2
The inaugural season of United Women’s Soccer’s League 2 kicked off in Central Florida with Unity FC and Orlando FC Royals.
Unity FC opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a low cross from just outside the penalty area being toe’d into the bottom corner of the goal in a baseball-like sliding effort from the center forward. The Royals and Unity would then trade a flurry of chances and near-goals through the next twenty minutes in an even match, until Unity had free kick in the 32nd. The Unity FC kicker drilled a shot through the Royals’ defense and buried it outside the goalkeeper’s reach just inside the left post. The Royals countered with a gifted 1v1 chance, but the Unity keeper stood on her head and left the Royal without a score at the end of the half.
The second half saw the Royals step up their attacking play, but remained goalless despite a number of early chances. The Royals received a penalty kick opportunity in the 48th, but they failed to convert, and Unity FC scored again on the counter in the 53rd, all but putting the match out of reach at 3-0. The Royals would continue to dial up the attacking pressure, registering another 6 scoring chances before finally scoring with a strike launched from 35-40 yards out that will probably be a favorite for UWS goal of the year.
The Royals would come away empty on another 6 scoring chances, while Unity would again counter in the 84th minute with a well timed through pass and 1v1 opportunity for their 5th goal of the match. After 90 minutes, despite having a 16-11 advantage in shots taken, the Royals would fall to Unity FC by three goals.
Unity FC 4
Orlando FC Royals 1
Up Next: Unity FC vs SportsParadize SA, Saturday, June 27th
Other Matches: Gulf Coast Premier League newcomers Crescent City FC played the NPSL’s Port City FC to a 0-0 draw Saturday evening in an inter-league friendly match.
Working for the Weekend
Lower League eCup Crowns Champions
It was just a month or so ago when the NPSL cancelled their season due to the pandemic. Around the same time, the WPSL followed suite, while UPSL and UWS decided to go on hold for the foreseeable future. USL League 2 had cancelled the month before, while the rest of the pro leagues, including USL, MLS, and NISA took steps to either close down for the year or look for modified approaches to the season. Soccer was going into hibernation in this country, while the vast majority of the country was at home with little distraction from the news of death and sickness that filled social media platforms.
Sometimes a moment picks a person, not the other way around. For Joe Meyer, a high school senior from Albany, NY, it was his time to shine. “I'm a huge sports fan, so once I realized that it would be at least a few months until live sports could return, I began to look at eSports as an innovative alternative. Originally, I had planned for 12-16 clubs, so to see the rapid growth of the tournament was amazing.” The competition’s growth certainly was amazing, going from his planned 12-16 competitors to 120. Those clubs and supporters groups provided “a total of 153 entries across the three consoles (78 PS4, 67 Xbox, 8 PC). These clubs came from 26 different leagues, stretching from professional leagues to the third and fourth divisions of local amateur leagues, and everywhere in between.”
In a short interview with Joe, we got feedback on the entire experience. “By far the biggest challenge was the launch. I only had ten days from when I first put the eCup on twitter until the group stage draw. That meant ten days to not only market the cup and process over 120 clubs, but also develop a streaming strategy, business plan, format, rules, and everything else that goes into a tournament/league. Everything else came down to adapting on the fly and working to make the event better every day.” So in some ways, just like most lower leagues.
The massive success of the Lower League eCup brought some profiteers into the picture, including one individual who attempted to create his own league (with a similar name and branding as Joe’s competition). We’re happy to report that, at least for the moment, the backlash was enough for this individual to shut down entirely.
The competition ended this week with the resulting champions:
Xbox One - In the Xbox One Final, the Oly Town Artesians took down fan-favorites Minneapolis City SC, who were represented by center back Jonah Garcia. Oly Town’s Angel Trejo ran the table, going 10-0 and set the tournament record for goals in a single match, putting 22 past a supporter from the Cal United Strikers in the group stage.
PS4 - Deiver Lopez of FC Motown held off a late comeback by Providence City FC’s Chris Moura to claim the title. Motown certainly benefited from having a professional FIFA player in their club, Lopez qualified for the FIFA20 World Championships this winter, and I’ve been told he already has an offer to join a major European club as an official eSports player.
PC - Finally, Metro Louisville took down Oakland County FC for the PC championship, winning 9-4 on aggregate. Supporter Wyatt Weeks led the NPSL expansion side to the title, winning every match along the way.
Image courtesy of Lower League eCup.
And of course, success breeds more success, as Joe has already begun to plan for the 2021 version of the competition. “I'm excited to announce that the eCup is transitioning to an annual event to be held every year from January-mid February! My perspective is that the Lower League eCup can be an extremely valuable asset to the lower league community as an annual tournament that brings together supporters, players, and clubs from across the country. Furthermore, by playing in the offseason, it provides clubs with a platform to grow their brand on a national level, engage with their supporters, and stay relevant in their communities!”
Our favorite response to any question was Joe’s enthusiasm for his favorite memory of the tournament, “The Xbox One Final between Minneapolis City SC and Oly Town Artesians certainly has a compelling argument for the most memorable night of the tournament. Still waiting on confirmation, but between the streams of both clubs, we had over 100 viewers tune in to that match (official number will be released soon). That amount of viewership is incredible for a FIFA tournament, and I am willing to assume that the Minneapolis City stream had the best viewership numbers of any club or league across the several leagues and tournaments that are currently ongoing. It’s a testament to the success and popularity of this event, and the hard work and dedication of the staff at Minneapolis City and Oly Town for helping promote and broadcast the event!”
“Thank you to all of the players, clubs, supporters, and sponsors who helped make the event so special. I appreciate that all of you were willing to take a chance on this event, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out! Stay tuned to the Twitter page as there will be some commemorative merchandise available next week, and a few promotional activities that will keep the eCup active on social media! Registration for 2021 will open in November, and I can’t wait to see everybody back in January!”
Joe Meyer saw a gap and filled it. Not for profit or fame, but with a solution that was “designed to be a platform for clubs and supporters groups to compete in some form of competition and engage with their fans during an extremely difficult time, while also helping bring the lower league community together.” The moment picked Joe and he responded.
Follow Joe Meyer and the Lower League eCup on Twitter.
- Dan Vaughn
Editor’s Note: While Protagonist Soccer did not create or run this tournament in any way, we did provide financial sponsorship.
Another Perspective on the Situation Facing the WPSL
This weekend we ran an article with one WPSL owner who was extremely disappointed in the WPSL’s approach to the cancelled 2020 season. In an effort to protect this person’s identity, the interview was posted anonymously, though we vigorously vetted the person to ensure accuracy. The league contacted us with a list of owners who they believed offered a counter to this viewpoint. In the interest of fairness, we reached out to one, John Saeger, who owns South Star FC (which operates in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area). We sent him the exact questions we use when interviewing our previous owner, though in John’s case, he didn’t want anonymity.
We aren’t picking a side in this fight, because that’s not our goal or job. However, allowing multiple voices at the table and encouraging those that whistle blow is a priority for Protagonist Soccer. So here’s a second voice of someone directly affected by the WPSL’s decisions, who sees things differently.
So how long have you been involved with women's soccer?
I’ve been involved in youth soccer in North Texas for roughly 20 years, had my own club (all girls) and then merged with D’Feeters (all girls). Last year was my first year with a WPSL Team. This year, I planned on fielding (2) teams as FC Dallas decided not to participate. North Texas is a hotbed for soccer, especially on the girls/women’s side. There are plenty of players who just want the opportunity to play.
How has your club been doing financially, before the pandemic?
We were doing fine. Sponsorships were heading in the right direction. We’re a 501(c)3 so 100% of our funds are applied to the players, coaching staff and playing/practice expenses. The Board (myself included) are all volunteer.
How do you get funding? What's a good year look like for your club?
100% of our budget is from sponsorship. Our budget for just the single team was in the $75,000 range, with (2), we were looking at $100,000.
With the pandemic happening, what has your club been doing?
Not much right now. With the season cancelled, we will be having training sessions, starting soon. We’ll have camps throughout the summer for the players to participate in and also help run on the youth side.
What was your view/experience with the WPSL prior to this season?
I had 1 season (last year) that we played under my belt. I had an amazing time. We have such a great group of players and coaches. We play our home games at TCU and Coach Bell, Coach Higginbotham and all of the TCU staff are fantastic and supportive. I’m probably more disappointed than the players and coaches that we can’t play. And working with the league was great too. They are great people to work with.
Do you agree the season should be cancelled?
I don’t think they had a choice. Yes.
How did you expect the league to deal with the league fees?
Being familiar with the youth side, there are expenses which you can’t get out of. I wasn’t surprised at all when they announced what they were going to do.
When the league revealed their budget constraints, did the fact that the league funds the buyout loan (which they used to purchase the league) bother you at all?
I look at my League Fee as an investment into the league. There are things I can use (branding) that add to my brand. The WPSL is working to raise the standards for the women’s game. I get it that there are some teams are upset but I’m personally looking at the big picture and I knew the risks going in.
How could the league have done better?
I think the league handled things as well as they could of. They waited until the last possible moment to make the decision. This pandemic hurts everyone, no one is immune. It sucks!
What's the outlook for your club this year?
Our coaches are in touch with our players year around. Helping them with their fitness and getting them ready for their college season. If they don’t play this fall, there’s a possibility that the WPSL may have a “1 time” fall league and we’ll be right there.
Will you continue to play in the WPSL?
Absolutely!
An Interview with a WPSL Club Owner
When the news broke earlier this week that multiple leagues planned to keep the league fees and only offer partial credit for 2021, there was a massive uproar. For many clubs, this felt unfair. We were contacted by many owners/operators who felt ripped off and unsure how to manage their finances without income due to no matches and pulled sponsorships. One such owner from the WPSL offered to be interviewed anonymously, this is their story, but it could be the story of any one of the hundreds of clubs across the United States in dire straights.
So how long have you been involved with women's soccer?
I coached a team for one season, but then they folded because of financial reasons and I started my own team the next year. We've played in the league over 5 years.
How has your club been doing financially, before the pandemic?
We are a non-profit that also partners with other non-profits helping to provide access and programming to underserved communities. Any "extra' money we have after our WPSL expenses go towards this end.
How do you get funding? What's a good year look like for your club?
We struggle a bit because we aren't funded by a big youth club. We solicit sponsors and also offer a few programs that help fund our WPSL team. Every single sponsor we had for 2020 pulled out before March.
With the pandemic happening, what has your club been doing?
Nothing soccer related so to speak. We have had a stay at home order since mid-March. We keep in touch over Zoom as a lot of our players are spread out.
What was your view/experience with the WPSL prior to the this season?
The new ownership has done a good job of keeping things "professional"...making sure teams maintain minimum standards, fining teams that don't, making sure teams pay fees, etc...
The league under Jerry Zanelli had a lot problems and there was no consistency in many areas including teams owing money.
Do you agree the season should be cancelled?
Absolutely
How did you expect the league to deal with the league fees?
I expected them to roll 100% of our 2020 fees paid to go towards 2021. And I expected them to cut their expenses in order to do it. If nothing else, this pandemic has proven that we are ALL capable of working from home. The $40k spent on the AGM is a frivolous expense. That meeting could be done over Zoom. It could be done at the United Soccer Coaches Convention. Also, they spend $30k on social media which last time I checked was FREE! Even if they're paying someone to write articles, that could be done by a few interns or way cheaper than that! The only person worth a salary at the WPSL is Beth Patterson the administrative assistant. She's amazing. In every other position, I know people would volunteer their time or take a break in league fees. There's a lot of great owners and coaches that care about the future of the women's game, but not at the expense of padding someone's pocket or paying off someone's loan!
When the league revealed their budget constraints, did the fact that the league funds the buyout loan (which they used to purchase the league) bother you at all?
That's what bothered me the most. Esp the fact that they listed that as a line item expense in their justification for keeping $2500 from each team. That's like buying a lake house vacation home and asking people to pay for vacation stays they didn't receive just because you have a mortgage.
How could the league have done better?
I think we all saw this coming and I personally wish they would have made a decision to cancel earlier. They didn't do a good job of reaching out to individual teams. They reached out one time during all of this. I would have liked weekly communication. I would have liked to speak with other owners about their issues (sponsors pulling out, facility rental problems, player problems (getting internationals into the country) etc).
What's the outlook for your club this year?
We will just ride out this season of uncertainty and hopefully be back playing next year, not necessarily in the WPSL.
Will you continue to play in the WPSL?
We are currently looking for other alternatives...alternative leagues that actually care about their clubs.
NPSL Keeps 2020 Club Fees Despite Cancelling Season
In a developing story, broken by Apyramid_blog on twitter, the NPSL has decided to keep the club fees for 2020, regardless of the fact that the league has cancelled the season. In an internal email, sent from a journalistic source, the league explained it’s rational.
“The NPSL believes the best thing for soccer in the United States is to ensure that we have a strong platform for teams like yours, and thus we optimize for keeping the league healthy, operational, and moving forward. Therefore, we were focused on finding a healthy balance between keeping the league healthy and sustained for years to come, while also providing relief for our teams. As we considered the sustainability of the league, heavily factored was the NPSL brand and where the league is positioned in the U.S. market. We are a year-round business, providing a platform for teams to build a business in their communities that has year-round relevance and a vision for the future. We have a small but high-level staff supporting that model and we are known for the level of professionalism and quality with which the league is operated and managed.”
Because of this, the league decided to keep the entirety of the $5,500 fees that were assessed to each club on entry to the 2020 season. What the league did offer to clubs was a credit - “Teams will receive a $2000 credit effective immediately.The league will review other ways to give more relief in the future. This is a credit refund as opposed to a cash refund. Credits will be applied to balances and benefits teams that see their future in the NPSL.”
Many clubs are not happy about this news and one NPSL club owner speculated that “30-40% of the league could be lost” with a “bunch of the clubs going to the UPSL.”
Things are challenging and appear to be getting worse.
UPDATE: WPSL Confirms It Will Be Keeping Most of Club's Deposits
This story is a developing one and we expect more information as the day goes on. Please check back for updates.
We’ve received word from a WPSL club front office that the league has announced it will be “keeping $2500 of the $3500 of entry fees and letting us credit $1000 for next season.” That came from an anonymous source, but we’re working to confirm this story with other clubs and the league. While the source wasn’t willing to go onto the record, for obvious reasons, they did mention that “people aren’t happy and it’s going to get ugly.”
While many leagues seem to be taking this approach, including the NPSL (according to this twitter post from @Apyramid_blog), it certainly comes across as tone deaf as the individual clubs are struggling to stay afloat. Even if it’s an economic reality, it will not play well in the court of public opinion and certainly not with the league’s member clubs.
UPDATE
Sean Jones, WPSL President, has confirmed that the rumor is true. He offered an explanation on the part of the league. According to Jones, “only 10% of our annual budget are variable costs directly tied to the season and we are in the 9th month of our fiscal year which began in September of 2019 which means that 75% of the budget had already been spent,” that includes payroll, rent, office expense, payroll, rent, office expense, AGM, conventions, social media, dues and license, etc. From the league perspective, there were two options:
“We could shut down the office, lay everyone off, and go “dark” until October when the 2021 fees begin to come in and give everyone a check back for $500 - $600 or we could keep the office open, continue to pay staff, and work towards continuing to provide teams that can with the ability to register players to train in the late summer, hopefully play some friendlies, and have the potential of a fall season (depending on what happens with the NCAA) all while trying to figure out how to budget for a minimum $130K reduction in revenue for the 2021 season. We decided on option 2.”
While that may seem small consolation to member clubs, Jones did mention that two of the management team with other sources of income have given up 100% of their league salary, while the other has taken a 40% pay cut.
For Jones, and he was very adamant about this, “there are clearly NO good options.”
If you’re a WPSL club with information, shoot me an email at DanVaughn@protagonistsoccer.com or DM me on twitter. Our DMs are open.
Three More Clubs Join VPG eNPSL
The VPG eNPSL competition continues to add more NPSL clubs. Announced yesterday, three more clubs added their names to the list of clubs competing. Boston City FC, Las Vegas Legends, and New Orleans Jesters all signed up and are preparing clubs for the competition. Cindy Spera, NPSL Managing Director highlighted the announcement in a press release - “We are very excited about our final three teams and the contributions they will make in the competition. Fans and supporters should be excited about this new esports league and the clubs that will be represented.”
The competition is now set at 16 clubs. The schedule is yet to be set, but the league has plans to announce it soon.
NPSL Announces Launch of VPG eNPSL
With the cancellation of the 2020 season, the NPSL has announced the launch of an eLeague to help supply NPSL fans with a soccer fix. In a press release today, the league laid out the format for the new league. The tournament will be 11v11 style on the FIFA Pro Clubs platform. The inclusion of VPG, a big name in the industry, certainly lends credibility to the new eLeague.
“The NPSL is excited to enter the esports market for the first time,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “The VPG eNPSL will be a great way to bring our community members together for friendly competition on a virtual pitch. This will also be an opportunity to take the NPSL brand beyond our traditional boundaries and into new households across the country.”
“It’s fantastic to see the NPSL getting involved in the 11v11 FIFA esports,” Virtual Pro Gaming CEO Arron Dellosa said. “All of the teams entering into this will benefit massively as football has been postponed around the world. Many fans and gamers will enjoy watching the content created from FIFA 11v11. I am looking forward to getting this started.”
So far 8 clubs have signed up to participate: Atlantic City FC, Central Florida Panthers SC, Denton Diablos FC, Duluth FC, Fort Worth Vaqueros, Milwaukee Torrent, Muskegon Risers, and Ozark FC. We spoke with Damon Gochneaur about his club, Denton Diablos, participating in the competition. “The Diablos are excited to continue to grow the beautiful game, and one way or another, find a way to play soccer. The 11v11 format will provide an exciting format that will embody the spirit of the game. But most importantly, one way or another, we’re excited to face off in the first ever online Chisholm Trail Clasico against the Fort Worth Vaqueros.”
The schedule of the competition has yet to be announced, but the league did roll out a slick new logo for the league. Won’t lie, it’s pretty awesome. When we know more about the specifics of the league, we’ll pass them to you.
- Dan Vaughn
A Trip to the Motherland
During my vacation to Europe, I have been asked by at least ten people - “what matches are you attending?” And to each of them, I’ve responded, “I’m with my wife, she already puts up with enough soccer as it is, I’m not dragging her to a match on our vacation.” Maybe not that exactly, but certainly something like it. But we did make one soccer-related stop on our trip so far, in the city of London, to a place I had always wanted to visit from pictures online, Classic Football Shirts.
The shop itself is tucked into a a formerly industrial area, brewery in fact, The Old Truman Brewery. The area has become the home of tons of small, boutique-type shops, featuring kitch, crafts, and art. Sprinkled between the shops is a healthy dose of restaurants, most small and on their way up. It’s the type of area that 15 years ago would be a place to score drugs, but is now a place to buy great one-of-a-kind items (and score a better grade of drugs). The day we visited, the rain was coming down pretty good from Storm Ciara. The storm has made a mess of the day, with buckets of rain falling, matched with a healthy dose of cold wind. Not optimal weather for a quiet day shopping.
The shop was just around the corner from the entrance and as we came around, I turned to my wife and joyfully whispered, “Look!” I’m sure she thought I was an idiot. It’s rad to see something you’ve seen in pictures but never seen in real life. True of a piece of art, true of a building, true of a person, and definitely true of a kit shop! The shop was busy, filled with shoppers and through the window I could see two levels, filled with racks of kits. Behind the front counter, two guys nodded as we stepped in and I wanted to geek out, but managed to contain myself.
The racks are organized into several groups, there’s an under £20 rack, an international rack, some leagues are separated out, it all makes perfect sense. In the bottom level, there’s a legends’ section, which included a XXL Zlatan AC Milan kit for £149. I did not purchase it, sadly. Sizes were an issue for a big guy like myself. Not a lot of XXL and even less XXXL, I assume the healthy people of Europe just aren’t wearing the bigger kits. Us unhealthy Americans on the other hand, are left with what whatever we can get. I did manage to snag two in my size, a slick Danish Superliga kit, SønderjyskE, and a more familiar West Ham kit. The Hammers’ kit ran me £27.99 ($36.51), while the SønderjyskE kit was £17.99 ($23.47).
My finds at CFS.
There was a distinct lack of American kits in the building, with the exception of several NYCFC kits hanging on the wall, where they were ignored by everyone. There were no USNT kits either, which I found somewhat surprising, especially considering the class team that the women have fielded FOREVER. I brought up the dearth of American kits to the front desk guys and we joked about no one wanting to buy a NYCFC kit. I’m happy to report that the shade against NYCFC is universal. I wish I had worn one of my grassroots kits that day, but I didn’t want to be THAT guy, so I plugged a couple of clubs and Icarus (of course) and we stepped out into the rain, two kits richer.
Without a doubt, the shop is a must-stop for any soccer fan, especially a kit head. I don’t know where a shop like this could survive in the states, outside of the soccer hotspots like Portland or NYC. There’s just not enough support for soccer to keep the doors open on a kit-only shop. And that’s why you have to make it a point to get to the motherland. The prices are completely reasonable and the selection is fantastic. You will find something to drop money on, without a doubt.
Visit Classic Football Shirts in London, well worth the stop.
- Dan Vaughn
Old Man Yells at Sky: Chaos in a Coffeeshop Edition
Middle of the week can just screw off entirely. You know you’ve still got two more days of the week and no amount of “hump day” jokes helps. Instead, it’s the grim realization that you will do this the rest of your life till you’re dead. Unless you’re rich I guess, but you aren’t reading this column if you’re rich. Eh, whatever, here’s the list of this week’s complaints. - Dan
Reading United did the right thing. Maybe? - So if you haven’t seen it yet, Reading United backed out of the Open Cup because they, like many clubs, count on college players to staff their amateur side. With the shift in schedule that USOC put in place last week, the first round kicks off in March, which is in the middle of the college season. That eliminates the U23 player pool and wrecks the chances of any club that counts on college players. As Reading put it in their statement: “This abhorrent scheduling decision forces the top USL League Two and NPSL teams, who afford an Open Cup playing opportunity to NCAA and U23 players in the USA, to completely modify how they structure a team, or worse, forces them to relinquish their deserved spot to a lower ranked team. The lack of consideration for such a large player pool is astonishing. We are very concerned this is another example of the public perception of the “tone deafness” that exists within US Soccer. We truly do not understand why US Soccer would essentially eliminate the playing opportunity for what is truly the best soccer player pool, outside of the professional ranks, in the United States.” Yowza.
In the last episode of the Lower League Soccer Show, Dominic Bisogno and myself discussed this potential issue. It’s an issue. A serious issue and bravo to Reading United (part of the USL system, you fucking grumps) for standing up to US Soccer and stating exactly what the issue is and telling the Federation what’s up.
But can I offer a slight critique of this? If clubs want to participate in the Open Cup, maybe they should expand their rosters and look for other talent. Certainly smaller-market clubs would struggle to do this, but most larger cities have soccer talent lying untapped because college players are holding on to roster spots on amateur sides. One sticking point might be roster rules of the Cup, but I don’t know those offhand. For sure dealing with the situation sucks (and you would hope US Soccer would be aware of these issues and CARE), but are there workarounds? I think so for SOME clubs.Cold weather, where do you stand? - I like cold weather for the most part, but where I live (El Paso) the goddamn temperature goes from cold enough for a jacket, low to mid 40s in the morning to close to 65 in the afternoon. So this morning, I get up and prepare to walk to my car around 530a and the temperature is in the high 30s, but my jacket is in my car. So I have to walk my freezing ass out to the car to put on my cold ass jacket and wait for the heater to catch up. Just make up your mind already, weather.
I have achieved peak old man grumpiness.
Same jacket syndrome - Yesterday I was at work and I looked across the counter and a lady in the line was wearing the same jacket. I know you’re imagining some pink glitter jacket, but nah, I wear a light adidas zip up when I work and she had the same jacket on. That made me think, when we buy stuff in a clothing store, there’s 30 of the same items on the rack, why don’t we see people wearing the same item more often? You’d think it would happen more often than it does, especially in small towns with one or two clothing stores. Just as I said that, this old guy walks into this coffee shop wearing what is easily the craziest patterned shirt I have EVER seen. So maybe no one could match up with that guy.
The UPSL should have one champion per year - I spotted this “discussion” on twitter. A small regional club was blowing up the UPSL on twitter for having two champions. While there were plenty of gifs being used (mostly by UPSL Communications guy, D. Pope), the heart of the argument is pretty solid. Two champions is a weird thing. We don’t have two presidents, it would be chaos. Honestly, this same argument is why I’m very opposed to the weird scheduling the NPSL is discussing with the wonky long schedule/short schedule overlap. Who’s the champion? Doesn’t it water down whoever wins? One champion, it makes sense. I doubt UPSL will change because money.
Don’t put your feet up in a chair unless that space is yours - Is there anything worse than the guy who puts his feet up in a public space? Maybe, but not at the moment. Are you the king? Don’t act like a jerk. It’s so pretentious. One exception, your foot is in a cast. I’ll allow it.
We fail the mentally ill in this country - I understand that mentally ill people are difficult to deal with, especially in public spaces. And not all companies are nice about it, oftentimes pushing out the perceived “crazy” types as soon as they disrupt the shopping public. But man, it sucks. Most of these people are out of their minds, need medication, therapy, professional treatment and there is nowhere for them to go. Cops either arrest them or push them out the door, but what kind of solution is that? There are some serious problems in this country and no one with power seems to care.
If you aren’t paying attention to Maryland Majors, it’s time to - We’re living in a golden age of great regional/state leagues. Bay State is a heck of a league. Casa in Philly is moving into that top tier. Buffalo and District is one of the best for smack talk. Honestly, there’s a bunch of fantastic leagues, but MMSL has some of the best small clubs in the game right now. Everyone knows Christos, but Steel Pulse is just as talented and definitely worth following. Top to bottom, the first division of MMSL is fun to watch. And speaking of following, Motorik in the second division is one of the must-follows for lower league twitter. Kenneth always has something interesting to say. I’m just saying regional soccer leagues are completely worth following, regardless of where you live in the country.
Recruit a college kid, why don’t ya - With social media becoming so vital to grassroots soccer, I can’t understand why more clubs don’t venture into their local universities and community colleges and check out the communications department, post an ad for an intern position, and give a kid a chance to grow their social media presence. Kids are steeped in that stuff anyway, you could work with them to create a marketing strategy and they would get a ton of real-world experience growing your brand, it’s a win win. Some people need to think outside their current box.
Everyone still locked in on Disney+ - Such a great service. Kid is constantly entertained. And I won’t lie, I have grown to love some movies that came out after I stopped watching kid movies. Please don’t hit me with “Disney is part of an evil plan to make culture shitty…” They are all doing it, so if you don’t like it, throw your tv, smart phone, tablet, and laptop out the window. Honestly, you should be a bigger influencer for your kids than the movies they watch. Pro tip: Moana is an awesome movie. Seriously.
Soundtrack? - I think I’m going to start adding in a song for each of these columns. That way I can improve your listening habits. My little way to brighten or darken your day.
So today, let’s start with one of my favorite bands all-time, Pedro the Lion. Yeah, their heyday was 20 years ago, but so was mine. They got back together and put out a great album last year. This song is from that album, enjoy.
By the way, I’ve met David Bazan, the lead singer, a couple of times, he’s wonderful. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Nuff said.
Old Man Yells at Sky: Thanksgiving Hangover Edition
Hopefully everyone had a great holiday last week. Thanksgiving was always one of my favorite holidays as a kid, mostly because it was around my birthday (this year it landed on it) and I love pumpkin pie (more on that later). As I’ve aged, I like how bland Thanksgiving is, without the trappings of religious holidays, which are always complicated for myself. Lately, I’ve heard more push against the holiday by those thinking of the exploitation of indigenous people by the pilgrims. It’s not wrong, but it hasn’t pricked my woke soul yet, so I’ll continue to enjoy the holiday until I decide it’s non-Kosher.
Hopefully you’re down for an old man to rant a bit, I enjoyed writing it two weeks ago. I’m going to start doing it more often, so expect more to come. So here’s a list of gripes, some soccer-related, some not. Enjoy. Happy belated Thanksgiving.
Fans see the world differently than clubs. - For a lot of fans, we see the soccer world in black and white. MLS and USL are the devil while UPSL and NPSL are the bastions of the true amateurs. When the NPSL came knocking the GCPL four, they jumped at the chance to join the national league. Some of us (maybe this guy) cried cannibalization, but the clubs involved saw it as a chance to head to greener pastures. The reality is, clubs don’t see it the same way fans do. Look at the crossover of clubs from the NPSL to USL League 2. Look at local soccer club owners buddying up with USL leadership. The world is more complicated than we think it is and our simplistic takes as fans are unrealistic.
Cranberry sauce from a can is nasty. - I don’t know why we think it’s good. It’s not. Why not just have fresh cranberries on the table if you want that taste? Instead you’ve got a quivering mass of jelly that’s flavored to taste like cranberries. At my family’s Thanksgiving meal, 90% went in the trash. Where it belongs.
Pumpkin pie should be a year around thing. - Seriously, this is my favorite pie. It’s earthy, it’s not too sweet (I’ve never been a fan of adding whip cream), it’s actually a tasty vegetable, and it’s still a desert. Apparently pumpkin pie is distinctly American, so much so that when my parents travelled to New Zealand, people had no idea (this was 20 years ago, maybe it’s different now) that pumpkin could be a desert. It can be, and it’s delicious! The Kiwis were disgusted by the thought of pumpkin baked into a pie and had to be tricked into tasting it. Culture is a funny thing, I guess. One man’s pie is another’s vegetable bread bowl.
But circling back to my bullet point, why limit this delicious pie to Thanksgiving? Why not have it in July with your fireworks? Or maybe during your New Year’s celebration? It’s delicious so eat it! YEAR AROUND!
I don’t understand how NISA will function without more West Coast clubs. - All of the new clubs are on the East Coast portion of the league, including the yet-to-be-named clubs that are currently just city names. 9 clubs on the East side, 4 on the West. Seems to be a space in Las Vegas, maybe a couple or three up the West coast into Oregon and Washington. Even Phoenix (though it’s so disgustingly hot in Phoenix, I can’t fathom trying to play soccer there, but clearly they do). The league still has time, but they need more clubs to even the map out, and they need them now.
Getting older is odd. - We all live in our own heads, but I am more and more aware of that the older I get. My reality is shaped by everything I think and everything I’ve experienced. By definition, that means your reality is entirely different, so different I can’t even imagine how you see the world. So when you read all these words, you are filtering them through your own understanding of reality. And even trying to think about that makes me a little dizzy. Yeah, shouldn’t think too much. Getting older can’t be helped.
Kamala Harris dropped out of the race and Twitter taught me something in the process. - So if you don’t vote on the left side of the political spectrum, maybe this will piss you off (me mentioning it, not her dropping out), but I saw a tweet that pointed out something solid. “If all of you crying about Kamala leaving the race had backed her up, she wouldn’t be dropping out of the race.” Regardless of your politics, this is an awesome point, true in everything we do. If you believe in something, you need to show it with actions. You need to back it with cash. You need to show up. True of Senator Harris’ campaign, true of your chosen religion, true of lower league soccer. If you really want something to exist, you need to SHOW it.
Kids are smart. - When my daughter was born, for the first year, I described her as a potato. She just lay there, ate, pooped, slept, cried, giggled, but didn’t add much in the way of thought or conversation. She’s three now and she has the most interesting world view, it’s awesome. She has become incredibly afraid of Alexa (that Amazon robot thing) to the point that she doesn’t like to walk past it alone, for fear it will talk to her. That’s amazing! She has picked up on the inherent dangers of that type of technology without anyone guiding her into the philosophical discussions about privacy and technology. She just knows she doesn’t like that talking box on the shelf, regardless of her lack of experience with it, so she avoids it. Maybe we should learn from her or maybe she’s just a kid afraid of a robot.
Just this evening she was watching a kid’s show about germs and immediately went and washed her hands. Eventually I had to change it because she found the concept too threatening. And maybe that’s the limit to how smart a kid should be - a little knowledge is good, by maybe a kid’s intuition doesn’t need the whole story just yet. Kids are cool, but we all need some backup from a parent every now and then.
Bribing pundits with gear is smart. - I used to get really bothered by this, mostly out of jealousy. I would watch lower league clubs sending kits and t-shirts to famous people, desperate for a shout out. But now I think it makes sense. You need that sort of exposure and if you can buy it with a kit that cost your $35 to make, why not? I mentioned all this because I spotted the Rogues peddled their kits for a shout out. So kudos to Providence City sending a couple of their shark kits to the Cooligans. Good press, really smart. Hell, I’m talking about it and I didn’t get a kit!
The next three weeks suck. - First of all, for most of the country, this is shitty weather season. Add to all that shitty weather the most travel every year. Intensify that travel by caking on gift expectations, family conversations (“so what do you think about impeachment?”), ridiculous amounts of cooking. It’s a hellish equation. And god have mercy on your soul if you work in retail.
Megan Rapinoe won the Ballon d’Or and people are pissed. - Yeah, Messi won his sixth also, but only Ronaldo and Liverpool fans are angry about that. Rapinoe won on the strength of her World Cup performance, for sure, as she only played 6 matches for her club team all year. But the person we should thank for Rapinoe’s win (aside from the purple haired goddess herself, of course) is Donald Trump. Had he not singled her out and attacked her via twitter, I am doubtful she would have won. Everyone wants a chance to shoot the finger at Trump and the voters took their shot. Side note, funny that Lucy Bronze came in second in the voting, no? Maybe I’m the only one that thought that was a funny coincidence.
BONUS GRIPE: That USL Tulsa rebrand is hot garbage. It’s a straight up rip off of two logos, LAFC and OKCFC and it bothers me. If LAFC made art deco hot, are we in for more of these knock offs? I pray to jesus no. And watching people fawn over it is depressing. Makes me feel old. And grumpy.
That’s it for now. Plenty to grump about later. ‘nuff said.
- Dan Vaughn
Next week I’d like to do a reader submission OMYAS. If you have something you’d like my take on, soccer or not, send me an email at OldPeopleoftheworldunite@gmail.com.
The Astonishingly Shiny Cup of All Cups: A Seriously Fun Celebration of Wisconsin Soccer
For many fans of lower division US Soccer, the announcement of the Astonishingly Shiny Cup of All Cups by the perpetually creative and “forward”-thinking Mingos of USL League 1’s Forward Madison and NPSL Members’ Cup participants Milwaukee Torrent hit the radar as a great way to promote an in-state friendly between two relative newcomers to the professional ranks. For fans of Humongous Entertainment’s “Backyard” Sports computer game series from the late 1990’s to early 2000’s, it may have sounded more familiar. “I thought it would be funny if we used the ultimate trophy from Backyard Soccer,” said Jason Klein, the digital content manager for Madison. “This is a response to the proliferation of, you might say, meaningless trophies in US Soccer so we wanted something that played on that idea.” Thus the ASCoAC was born. Behind the funny name and the brilliant graphic created by none other than @phat7deuce himself, Mike Pendleton, however, lies a matchup that underlines a return to the spotlight for a soccer community that has been around for over 100 years.
The first recorded soccer match in the United States took place in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee between a local squad and the team from Carroll College in 1866. The Wisconsin State Football Association was founded in 1914. Milwaukee Bavarians,who faced Forward Madison in the First Round of this year’s edition of the US Open Cup, have been operating (and winning titles) since 1929. Despite all that, many in the United States would not look to Wisconsin as a hotbed for the sport. “Soccer in Wisconsin is criminally underrated,” adds Klein. Beyond the extremely long history of the sport in the state, the recent exploits of Wisconsin’s squads cannot be ignored either. Andreas Davi, owner of Milwaukee Torrent, echoed that sentiment, “People underestimate the state of Wisconsin in soccer.” For those outside of the midwest, Wisconsin may seem like an odd place for such soccer fervor but the culture has always been there. Davi continued, “We have Bavarians, eight-time National Champions at the amateur level, we have four Division I colleges that play a big role in soccer on the men’s and women’s side, and I think it’s time with the Torrent and with Forward Madison that people say, ‘Hey this is someone we should take seriously.’”
The matchup itself, while a fun event that will get fans out to Breese Stevens Field, bringing their own sunglasses to shield their eyes from the Astonishing Shininess, is ultimately a celebration of the sport in a state that is finally getting its first taste of professional soccer over 150 years since that day in Waukesha. “I grew up just outside of Madison and we always talked about having a pro team we could watch that was close to home,” said Kuba Krzyzostaniak , Forward Madison’s Director of Fan Engagement & Digital Media, “for kids growing up here now, they have all these teams that they can see themselves playing for as a professional...it’s pretty exciting.” Connection to the local community has been one of the main driving forces behind both of these clubs. The Flood and The Flock, Torrent and Forward’s supporters’ groups respectively have begun to build cultures in the stands on matchdays and have grown communities within the larger community of their cities. For Torrent, Andrea Davi explains that the sense of community is a part of the club’s day to day. “Our guys work daily in the community. We go to 1-3 schools per day on the South side of Milwaukee to teach soccer.” The commitment of clubs to supporting their community rather than preying on it for stadium dollars or revenue streams is what ultimately separates most sports franchises in America from the community clubs involved in this matchup. Forward’s Krzyzostaniak highlights that the community aspect is key to their matchday experience as well. “For me it’s always been that sense of community and inclusiveness. The entire spectrum of Madison is here in the stadium having a good time together.”
The match will feature these kits for the final time. (Image from Forward Madison social media)
The contest on the field should be an entertaining one. Forward Madison currently sit 4th in USL League 1, which would be good enough to qualify for the playoffs if they can stay put. They also proved their mettle on the road in the US Open Cup, claiming a 3-0 victory over USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive, much to your humble author’s chagrin. Don Smart, Paulo Junior, and JC Banks are the dangermen for the Mingos and will look to spark Madison’s attack against the Torrent.
On the other side, the Torrent and Davi are looking to give Madison a contest. “Some might think that Madison will win by four or five but it will not be that easy. It is a good chance for us to represent the Torrent and the City of Milwaukee outside of the Members’ Cup.” The Members’ Cup has been a challenge for the Torrent but one they have risen to. Despite just one win against Napa Valley 1839 FC, they notched a draw against the vaunted New York Cosmos on the road with two very late goals. The dramatic equalizer came courtesy of Anthony Colaizzi. They also held Chattanooga FC in Milwaukee via a late goal by Gonnie Ben-Tal. The Torrent, with a “never say die” attitude, have been proving a tough team to beat and it’s likely Madison find this hard working group ready to play today.
The Torrent have been competing in multiple friendlies. (Image from Stephen Packer)
The competitiveness of the fixture does not take away from the fact that ultimately, matches like this are about cooperation. Jason Klein made things simple, “Look, we’ve got to work together. For such a small community, American Soccer has a lot of infighting so hopefully we can provide a bit of an antidote to that.” Teams realizing that cooperation is much preferable to the alternative is starting to become more prevalent and it is becoming apparent that it’s beneficial. Kuba concluded, “We definitely see ourselves as partners with Bavarians, (Green Bay) Voyageurs, Torrent, Croatian Eagles, the Wave, all those teams. The growth of the sport in the state is going to benefit all of us in the long run.”
If you have not taken note of the growth of professional soccer in Wisconsin, maybe this trophy will be Astonishingly Shiny enough to get your attention.
- Phil Baki
The State of Soccer: Oregon Part 3
Soccer is the most-participated youth sport in Oregon; in addition to the normal parks and rec leagues, there are, of course the pay-to-play youth soccer clubs—but born from those youth organizations are players and coaches who want to provide an opportunity to play soccer at a competitive level for those who are no longer in a position to participate in youth leagues. These squads are popping up all over Oregon, some join national leagues like NPSL or UPSL, while others stay in regional leagues like the GPSD (Greater Portland Soccer District). Recently, FCM Portland, of the NPSL, qualified for the first round of the US Open Cup while IPS FC, previously of the OPSL (Oregon Premier Soccer League) and now in the GPSD, nearly earned their way into the USOC’s first round, by winning multiple times in the qualifying rounds.
There are very strong squads in Oregon’s grassroots ranks, largely consisting of players from the Pacific Northwest; whether born here or transplanted as college students. Nearly all of the players on PDX FC’s side are made up from student-athletes from Universities all over Oregon and Washington. The coaches and owners of all of these sides have, for the most part, gone through the same experiences and are now dedicating their time to helping along soccer players from all walks of life pursue their passion of playing the sport a high caliber. An Oregonian sports institution, Oregon SportsBeat wants to provide opportunity as well and have created the Oregon Open Cup. In its inaugural year, the Cup has drawn together four teams who represent Oregonian grassroots soccer and pitted them against one another in a single-elimination tournament. To get the whole picture, we reached out to Ryan Johnson, the organizer of the Cup and voice of Oregon SportsBeat.
IPS FC, led by long-time coach Harvey Hurst, recently faced NPSL side Academica SC from Turlock, CA in the US Open Cup qualifiers.
How long has Oregon Sports Beat been covering local soccer? What else do you cover and what is your organization's mission?
SportsBeat started in 2012 as cable TV show in Portland. I hosted, and my guests were coaches from local sports programs. Harvey Hurst, who was the coach for my IPS over-30 team, was the first guest on the TV show. We started streaming all sports, including soccer, in 2014. We now cover select high school soccer programs and men's amateur teams. SportsBeat's mission is to promote local teams and players.
This is the inaugural Cup; when did you first think about putting together an Oregon Open Cup? What was the motivation?
The inspiration for this tournament format came from the 2012 US Open Cup, when a semi-pro side Cal FC went through a number of professional teams as they advanced in that year's tournament. I saw their game against the Portland Timbers, and remember being very impressed with how passionately they played. I decided to start the tournament this year because I blew out my knee the first game of the spring season, which abruptly ended my playing career. Since then I've had extra time on my hands, and when I put out the idea in front of a few knowledgeable people, they got behind it right away. I knew with the right team in place we could make it happen.
The Johnston Cup, a precursor to the Oregon Open Cup; maintained by Oregon SportsBeat.
How did you decide on the number of teams involved and what's in it for them to participate? Are there any additional sponsors contributing? Is there a physical cup or trophy?
It started out as an idea to play just 1 game this year- featuring 2 top finishers in local leagues- and grow the tournament in year 2. But as the idea spread it was clear we could make a high-quality field of four teams. The focus this year has been getting high quality teams into the tournament who would be available on relatively short notice, as planning for this year's tournament didn't start until mid-June when the rest of my spring sports were finished. The last tournament of this kind was called the Johnston Cup, which ended in 1989.
PDX FC, FCM Portland, IPS FC, and TFA Willamette U23s... what would it take to add Starphire from Southern Oregon, Lane United from Eugene, Farewell FC from Bend, etc... next year? It makes the tournament longer, but does that come with more organizational issues?
There are plans to expand the tournament next year. There will likely be qualifying to get into the final eight, and yes of course Starphire, Lane, Farewell and whoever else is welcome to try and qualify, if they are not already an automatic qualifier. It costs $500 to get in the tournament, and there is a cash prize for the winner. The prize amount is modest this year but will grow as the tournament develops.
Lane United of USL League 2 vs Southern Oregon Starphire of UPSL; both welcome to apply for the Oregon Open Cup in 2020.
Where are the matches? What does it cost to get in and do you need any volunteers? If folks can't get there, how can they watch the match; will it be streamed? And if we miss it, can we catch it later in the weekend?
We aim to have all games take place on soccer specific, high-quality grass fields. We aren't able to always get this, but that will continue to be a goal. All games will be streamed live on OregonSportsBeat.com, free to view live and on-demand.
Interest in women's soccer is at its peak right now, what would it take for Oregon Sports Beat to organize a similar women's amateur cup for Oregonian teams? Volunteers? Sponsors?
This tournament has an experienced team of people getting behind a good idea, and that's what’s pushing it forward. I'd love to see the women's side have the same opportunity.
- Joshua Duder
Both FC Mulhouse Portland and PDX FC of the NPSL are in the Cup – the two sides are… familiar with each other.
Oregon SportsBeat has provided links to their broadcasts and tournament information.
Link to all live game broadcasts
For more information about FCMP
TFA Willamette U23s play their soccer throughout the Central Willamette Valley – “Total Football Academy” have the pedigree to be competitive, to catch the Athleticos vs PDX FC, be sure to follow the Oregon SportsBeat links above.
The Rise and Fall of Fortitude FC
The Dream
The story of Fortitude FC started like most other soccer clubs in this country. It was a team I put together with a bunch of guys who just wanted to get back into playing. We chose to play in the Howard County Soccer League, as a lot of us had played in the league when we were younger. We spent a year in that league. Our first season as Fortitude FC was rough, like really rough - we lost every game. We improved dramatically in our second season, qualifying for and eventually losing in the playoffs. After signing some new talented players, a move to a bigger and more competitive league was decided as the best step for the club.
At first, Fortitude FC started off as just a soccer team, but as time went on it became so much more. Dreaming of having a team that could help open doors for soccer players who are trying to get to the next step of their career - maybe they were overlooked or hadn’t had a real opportunity to showcase their talent. It wasn’t just about playing soccer with my buddies. It was for the “up and coming” and the vets of the soccer who had more to give. It was about building a team our community could stand by and enjoy their ride. And hopefully, eventually, fall in love with the badge, until they bleed Fortitude. At least that was my dream.
In October of 2018, I applied for the Maryland Majors Soccer League, never I thinking we would get accepted. A few weeks later, after we lost our playoff match in the Howard County Soccer League, I received the notice of acceptance to the league. Knowing I had to start planning, the first step was getting help to run Fortitude, it was too much for a single person. After reaching out to all my buddies, only one was excited about the idea. He quickly jumped onboard. We formed a partnership and began to plan our first season in the Maryland Majors.
Maryland Majors
In the beginning of 2019, we were set to start. We had held our tryouts and selected the players to put together the team. All signs were good, and we felt ready for our first game. It was a Morton Cup group stage match and we knew the first game was going to be rough. By the end of the Cup run we knew we needed some personnel changes. A few players were added, and some left the club.
We started our season in the Maryland Majors with 18 rostered players. We thought this was a very solid squad and it was. Our first few games were great, the future looked promising, but, as the old cliché goes, “all good things must come to an end.” Fortitude was no different. Three weeks into the season, my partner reached out to me to let me know he would be leaving the club. Now, there are no hard feelings felt or any malintent, I understand why he left. He wasn’t going to be able to put in the time a project like this requires and life handed him a great opportunity. It happens, but nonetheless it was going to have profound effects on the club.
The weeks following my partner’s exits, our team captain followed, and then, little by little, my players left. Not going into the reasons why, we had a hard time finding new players. Eventually we would end up with 13 players, though we eventually added back three more. However, with these challenging circumstances anyone with any talent level was accepted and that would come with a price. We struggled on the field and those struggles led to more player disengagement.
Week after week it seemed harder to field a full team at the start of kick off. For many games, we started or played the first half with just 7 players. While this was a valuable lesson for me, it was a hard realization too. A very good friend said to me, “some players just don’t realize the opportunity you are giving them, to play in a league like this one, for no charge, man what I would have done with this if someone gave us this opportunity back in our day.” Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to describe how I felt. There was no way to wrap my head around the fact that players were choosing not to show up. It was such an opportunity for them - not only were they getting highlights made for them, they were playing in the Maryland Majors. I just couldn’t understand it.
But then it arrived - doomsday. We had our first forfeit, due to only having six players there at kick off. The next two weeks weren’t different. What proceeded was probably the hardest thing I had to do, feeling like I failed. Throughout our first season in MMSL, the team saw a partner walk away, lost its team captain, lost its media team, and suffered from uncommitted players. Maintaining Fortitude was becoming a financial strain on me and there was only one direction to go. The sad reality was knocking on the door - that it was time to pull Fortitude out of the Maryland Majors and fold. It was the right thing to do, out of respect of the clubs, the players, the league, and, most importantly, for myself.
The Aftermath
After a week of silence, it was time to let the world know. I reached out to my fellow Majors’ clubs to see if they wanted to pick up some of my players that deserved to join a new team. Then the club announcement was sent via Twitter. It was a tough decision, but the outcome shocked me. Many clubs and soccer fans had nothing but support for me. Some even sent messages of hope, asking for us to rebrand and return. However, I knew I wanted to do something else for Soccer in the United States. I wanted to keep fighting in a different way.
Shining light on issues and finding ways of helping clubs will be my next adventure. Everything we do is for the love of the game. Soccer has a way of grabbing someone’s heart and never letting go. We do everything we can to stay in this world we love, from being a supporter, playing to till you can’t, being a soccer activist, or even starting a club. However, at the end of the day taking care of lower league soccer is crucial - this is the foundation for soccer to survive here in the states. So, you can look for me on or off the field, in a shirt or reading my reports, you know I am here to do my part for the love of the game.
- Hector Monterroso
The War of Words
Sometimes I forget that most people don’t know me aside from the public personae that I offer through my social media. I’d like to offer a short bio of myself, emphasizing the aspect pertinent to the eventual point of this article. So I was raised in a very religious, conservative family setting which involved private schools and lots of church time. While those elements of my childhood didn’t contribute to my overall academic success (specifically science and history, which were grossly distorted to fit a specific agenda), there was a massive focus on reading and language development. I was allowed to read just about anything I wanted. I’ll never forget picking up a copy of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis at the age of 13 and trying to puzzle out the meaning of the story and its monstrous vermin. I read voraciously throughout my childhood, through my college years. After attending a couple of hilarious years of ministerial school (which ended with me being kicked out), I eventually went to a branch of the University of Texas and completed my degree in English with minors in History and Philosophy.
Not pictured, Franz Kafka
Upon graduation I went into the workforce and held several jobs, but missed the academic life. So about 10 years ago, I decided to enroll in the graduate program at UT-El Paso and work to get my degree in Rhetoric. Before you ask “What’s rhetoric?” I’ll say that this question is always asked of students prior to the starting of the semester. My answer is “rhetoric is the study of words and phrases and how they are used. Rhetoric looks for the hidden meanings in word, searching for motivations and goals.” Suffice to say, I never finished my course of study, having to deal with a divorce just two classes from completion of my degree. So while I do not have a degree in Rhetoric, I studied it and it shapes the way I think about words and word choices.
All that brings me today. I posted on our social media looking for clubs that owned their own fields. That is the subject of an article I’m currently researching, and crowd-sourcing information is one of the best parts of social media. Cat videos are of course the other. While I did receive a large number of responses (thank you), I also go a response that triggered this article:
“Fields are for farmers, it’s a pitch.”
A Lesson in Etymology
So let’s play that game. The word pitch, meaning a playing field, comes from cricket actually. Apparently, and I am no expert on cricket, the match begins when the “pitching of stumps” into the ground. Over time, that was shortened and changed to “pitch” meaning a playing field. By the early 1900s, pitch was almost entirely used for a soccer field. All of that, of course, applies to England. In the United States, we don’t play cricket and have no long history associated with the game. Because of this, the word “field” works just fine. We’ve long used the word to describe where a game is played. In fact, check the dictionary - “a piece of land used for a particular purpose, especially an area marked out for a game or sport.” Its synonym, according to google? Pitch.
This conversation about pitch vs. field leads us directly to the other term battle adored by those on social media - “soccer” vs. “football.” If you’re interested in this, we have a wonderful scholarly paper on this subject entitled “It’s Football not Soccer”. Written by Stefan Szymanski of the University of Michigan, the paper delves deep into the history of the two words: their roots, their meanings, and their usage. Shocker, apparently the word “soccer” is British. During the late 1800s, when both soccer and rugby were on the rise in the country, there was a desire to draw stronger distinctions between rugby football game and association football (as soccer was known). To do that, Rugby was referred to by the abbreviation, “Rugger,” while association football was shortened to “Soccer.” When the term crossed over the ocean to our beloved United States, it was perfect for our situation. We had another sport on the rise which used the name football and needed a term that would distinguish the other sport. So soccer rose in popularity.
Association Football? Probably.
The reality that some refuse to accept is that soccer was used in England for most of the 20th century as another name for football. That was the case until the early 1980s, when the soccer began to be viewed as an “American term.” For those purists of the game in our mother country, it was not fitting to use a term they felt was foreign (though in reality it wasn’t) for a game that they had created. And so the backlash against soccer was born.
The Why
So now we’re in the age of social media. Someone uses the phrase “soccer” or “field” and immediately is scolded for their lack of sophistication and their corrupted understanding of the game. The rhetorician in me (sadly without a degree) wants to know why. Why do people feel the need to correct it. Even Americans correct each other on the “proper” usage of the term. Why? I cannot answer for every person but I have a theory or two.
The “football” they love or the league they follow is in another country, typically the EPL or Bundesliga. If they listen to the announcers of the matches they watch, football means a specific thing. If they discuss the game on social media with other supporters of the club who live in another country, football means the sport they are discussing. They grew up in the United States, but the football they watch lives elsewhere and they want to strengthen that connection to the game they love.
It’s a reaction against their own country. Not everyone who lives in the United States thinks this country is #1 (U-S-A, U-S-A). I’m a woke individual, I have some issues with our country also. If you’ve grown up in this country and had American sports shoved down your throat for 20-40 years, is there anything better than taking the “football” away from the meat and potatoes types with their Budweiser shirts and MAGA hats? It’s the ultimate middle finger to a sport that is the most watched sport in the country and symbolizes so much of what is wrong with the United States (from their perspective).
Everyone wants to sound smart. “Soccer” sounds like something your kid plays on Saturday mornings, “football” is Messi and Ronaldo.
It’s the internet and people can’t help themselves. This final one will sound like an old guy yelling at the tv, but it has to be said. We all go on social media allow our worst versions of ourselves to come out. We lash out with words and phrases we’d never say to someone’s face because WE CAN. This is one more tool in the arsenal of the soccer fan to crush those that disagree.
Edward Schiappa, probably not thinking about soccer.
One of my favorite rhetoricians is Edward Schiappa. Dr. Schiappa was at MIT last I checked, but the theory that really sunk into my brain as I studied the subject was his discussion of defining. Definitions are not rigid things. They change over time, sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally. One of his key points was that definition requires someone who has “the right to define.” I can tell you that killing animals is wrong, painting your house green is a crime against architecture, drinking milk before bed is gross, or that soccer should be called football - all of those statements are my opinion and without the power to enforce them they won’t have much effect. One the other hand, if a government says that something is unlawful, we must accept that definition or suffer the punishment of that governments power. That is the right to define.
Solving the Problem
But back to social media and screaming at each other about soccer vs. football, pitch vs. field, kit vs. jersey, the list could go on and on. The reality is that the words we choose have motivations attached to them and those motivations are rooted in the person making the argument. You can blow me up for being an American and calling the sport soccer, but why are you doing that? It’s the naming convention that’s accepted by the vast majority of the country I live in and I accept it. I’ll confess, I used the word field on purpose. I choose to say soccer with intent. I am the editor of an American soccer website. Using another term for the sport would fly in the face of logic. If I were the editor of a website that focused on British soccer, maybe I’d have to rethink that choice, but I don’t.
What we can all learn from this is maybe words shouldn’t have as much meaning as we give them. Let’s accept that words have different meanings in different context and environments. Maybe we should also be honest about where our motivations are coming from but also embrace the truth about where words originate. Most importantly, we’re all in this together and tearing down other people may seem fun, but, in the end, you’re alone. And you can’t play soccer, or football, alone.
- Dan Vaughn