Player Profile: Will Kidd

When we look for success stories in the NPSL, the story of MPLS City is an eye-catching one. Through great marketing, backed up by solid play on the field, the team has grown into a fan favorite and a respected foe. One of the key players for their run of form is Will Kidd, a forward whose production has increased every season playing with the Crows. Last season, Kidd finished the NPSL season with 5 goals and 6 assists and was one of the catalysts that drove MPLS City to an undefeated regular season. After a quick exit in the playoffs, he and other returning players will be key in raising the bar this season with a deep run in the playoffs. We sat down with Will to discuss his progress, the Founders Cup, and what kind of cookie he likes.

You're about to embark on your third season with MPLS City, what's the best part about playing for the club?

I’m actually going into my 4th year with MPLS City but they best part about the club is the people. The staff truly cares about the players which makes you feel right at home. The players make every training session fun and challenging. The fans don’t get any better and make every game exciting. All of these people are the reasons why MPLS city is the best place to play the game we love. 

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You also play college soccer, what school did you play for and what's the biggest difference (or differences) between club and college?

I just played my last season at the University of St. Thomas. The biggest difference between club and college is the physicality of college soccer. A lot of teams in college soccer like to play really direct and rely a lot on being bigger, faster, and stronger than the opponent to win games. Teams in the NPSL like to try to move the ball more and break down teams instead of dumping it over the back line and running onto it. 

You've increased your goals and assists year over year, what are you working on in your skill set to continue that trend?

I think I can credit my increase in goals and assists to two things. The first reason is just simply experience. Over the years you just learn what to do in certain situations in games through trial and error and I think that’s helped me a lot. The second reason is more on the mental and emotional side. Last year I found myself being more emotionally invested in each game whereas in past years I’ve just relied on my physical skills to get me through the game. Being one of the "veterans" on the team I made a point last year to try to be more vocal on the field which lead to more energy and emotion. Having each game mean something to you emotionally gives you that spark of energy that will allow to make that last run or that last tackle. 

As a veteran member of MPLS City, you've played against your fellow conference clubs, which match is circled on your calendar and why?

I think we don’t really try to make any game more important than others because all the games are important if you’re trying to raise the trophy at the end of the season. But at the same time there’s always outside hype around intercity rivals and teams that are at the top of the table. 

MPLS City is known for smart branding. What sets the club apart from others?

There’s no question that MPLS City’s social media presence is elite and is one thing that sets MPLS City apart from other clubs. Another thing that I think sets MPLS city apart from other clubs is that they are very professional with planning. Although I haven’t been to other clubs in the NPSL I think MPLS City does a good job with planning ahead whether it’s transportation, food, or hotel bookings which lets the players really only need to focus on the game. 

What are your long-term goals in the sport?

My long-term goals for soccer are to keep playing at the highest level I can for as long as I can. 

How's the club shaping up for this season?
With a lot of returners coming back to play again next year I think the team will be very strong again. 

A lot of focus is on the clubs entering the Founders Cup this Fall, as a NPSL player - are you excited about the expansion of the NPSL? Would you like to see your own club make that jump as some point?

For other teams the Founders Cup may be an exciting thing but not for this team. MPLS City is more focused on helping local players attain high level soccer in their backyard and for the fans to have a high level of connection to local guys. Joining the Founders Cup would be a large investment when we could find that high level of talent without going down that road. On top of that it would limit the development of MPLS City’s younger players because making that jump would be forfeiting NCAA eligibility. 

What should we expect from you this season?

You can expect me to give it my all every game. 

Chewy or Original Chips Ahoy?

Obviously original chips ahoy. 

What music have you been listening to lately?

 Any Chance the Rapper song. 

Massive thanks to Will Kidd and the MPLS organization for facilitating this interview.

Player Profile graphic artwork provided by Cory Mizer. For more of his artwork, check out his gallery on our site.

Cleveland SC Announces Friendly with Liga MX Monarcas Morelia

In exciting news that is a good indicator that the rest of the world is discovering our amateur soccer clubs, Cleveland Soccer Club has announced its first international friendly in club history. The opponent for this historic match is Mexico’s Liga MX club Monarcas Morelia Reserves. Fittingly enough, the match is scheduled for Cinco de Mayo (a popular holiday in Mexico and immigrant communities in the United States) - May 5, 2019 at Baldwin Wallace University’s George Finnie Stadium.

“When we started looking at the possibility of working with a Liga MX team, Morelia’s excitement for the idea made it an excellent partnership and helped the planning come together quickly,” said Cleveland SC president Samuel Seibert. “We’re excited to provide our fans a new kind of competitive option this preseason on Cinco de Mayo.”

Club Atlético Monarcas Morelia is a professional football club based in Morelia, Michoacán, playing in Liga MX. Like the vast majority of the professional clubs in the league, Monarcas’ reserves and academy squad include under-20, under-17, and under-15 clubs.

“We are happy that Monarcas Morelia of Liga MX accepted the invitation to play a series of three friendly matches against American clubs Cleveland SC, Buffalo FC and Kalamazoo FC,” said Global FC President Victor Delarosa. “With our main objective to connect the world of soccer, we're very grateful that our friends in the U.S. opened their communities by hosting Morelia.”

It’s a sure sign of success that the NPSL is beginning to catch the eyes of foreign clubs looking for exposure in the United States. The match will be a boost to the Liga MX club, though the league is already followed by many fans in the United States. Of course, Liga MX is the most watched league in the country (foreign or domestic) and it would be easy to infer that television ratings equal popularity. The American soccer television market, for a host of reasons, is incredibly splintered.

For Cleveland SC and the NPSL, this is a big get. It allows the players to go against great talent on the field, pressing them to grow and providing a measure of their ability. Playing Monarcas also sparks interest in the Cleveland area, particularly among the Latinx segment of the population (which makes up over 33% of the area). The match is a win-win for both clubs and the leagues involved.

Regardless of the result, having a NPSL side going up against a group of players from a top flight league in Mexico is a great indicator of the league’s growth and standing in the world’s eyes.

- Dan Vaughn

A Final To Remember

 It was a cold dark night, with a clear white moon. Two teams were on the pitch, ready to exhaust their thirst for the gold and eternal glory. It took 90 minutes and PKs to end this story.

On February 9th, California United Strikers FC II played host to Inocentes FC for the UPSL Fall Season National Championship. For both of these clubs, the journey to make it to the final went through many challenging teams. Cal United finished in first place within its division and played through four playoff matches before facing Inocentes FC. During those four playoff matches, Cal United FC II scored 27 goals and only allowed 2. Inocentes FC finished second in its division and then went on to play in two playoff matches, before making the long trip from Fort Worth, TX, to Los Angeles, CA.

The Strikers of Cal United controlled most of the match, even after receiving a red card in the 35th minute. In the first half, Inocentes FC had trouble stopping the driving runs from the wings into the center of the field. Inocentes kept five at the back, but never really had anyone from defense trying to eliminate the play. If Cal United players couldn’t run into the interior of the midfield, they would stay wide and use their fullbacks to overlap and send in an accurate cross to the dual strikers. The Strikers scored their lone goal in the 39th minute.

In the second half Inocentes opened up. It switched to a 4-4-2 and focused on being more aggressive in the attacking third. While the formation change was a bit risky, Inocentes needed to find a way to add more players when in the attack, something it couldn’t do in the first half. Finally in the 62nd minute Inocentes equalized after it hit on the counter, made it into Cal’s box, and played a nice back heel pass to an open shooter who smashed it at the back post. After the goal the tempo of the match increased, and Cal United shifted its tall RB Chris Klute into attack as he looked to get on the end of a cross. Both teams continued to battle throughout the final minutes. Then during stoppage time, Cal intercepted an Inocentes goal kick, turned back down the field, and sent in a cross which was headed by the Cal striker. The headed ball hit an Inocentes defender and deflected into the path of another Cal attacker, who passed it back into the middle of the box where it was then put into the net. The goal was controversially called offside and the game was sent into penalties.

Cal United won 4-2 on penalties. Both goalkeepers had remarkable saves during the shootout, but Inocentes missed a shot wide and that sealed up the victory and the championship for the Strikers. California United Strikers FC II had a perfect season- never losing or drawing. While the club faced a few challenges throughout the season, it overcame every one of those obstacles. “It was a target we had to win the fall national title within the UPSL, since we came together for the season. The guys we selected took that goal and just worked their butts off every single day in training and every single game,” said General Manager Ron Gilmore. “If we were going to be beat, it would be playing our way,” added Head Coach Don Ebert.

“I told the guys that they were thinking too much instead of just playing. To just trust the training, trust the game plan. [California United FC II] were not going to give us the game, we had to go take it and in the second half we played a lot better. We had our opportunities, and so did they, but it’s soccer and there can only be one winner,” said Inocentes FC Head Coach, Luis Alcala.

While Inocentes did not win the national title, it did win the hearts of fans around the world. This club traveled over 1,400 miles and put more fans in the stadium than the hometown team. It was impressive. The crowd never stopped cheering for their club and they created an atmosphere that any club would love to call its own. “Overall, I feel like our season didn't end the way we wanted it to, but it was successful. I hope that people that are not from Texas understand how big this club is,” said Luis Alcala. With 5,800 soccer fans watching live, I think the country knows just how great both of these clubs are.

Inocentes FC will make preparations for its new UPSL season and hopefully it can make it back to the final once more. For California United Strikers II FC, it must make preparations for the NPSL season and Founders Cup. When one competition ends, the next one begins.

- Steven Ramirez

Guest Spot: SPAM FC and the SPAM FC Foundation

The following article was written by Van Hong, a co-founder of the SPAM FC Scholarship Foundation. SPAM FC is an amateur club that play in the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League (MASL) and are well known for their fund which provides scholarships to soccer-playing youth in the Twin Cities. Hong wrote the piece below to further explain the foundation, its event, and how they’ve grown. Our previous piece on the club can be found at this link.

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“Let’s get four on it. Left! Left! V, one more step...one more!”

Bao would give me a thumbs up, after 15 seconds of yelling at me, and make an amazing save against a great free kick.

Walls don’t protect us from free kicks. It’s our incredibly athletic keeper, the fearless defenders, resilient midfielders and the productive forwards. Walls, for us, are nothing more than esthetics. They don’t really work. 

I play on a Minnesota Amateur Soccer League (MASL) Division 1 team called, “Spam Football Club” or Spam FC for short. We are a men’s league team and a nonprofit organization that focuses on helping students that have been positively impacted by soccer pay for college. 

Spam FC was a youth team originated in St. Louis Park that was revived and rebranded to become one of the most respected MASL sides in the history of the league since 2011. In addition to expressing our passion on the field, we have developed a platform called Spam FC Scholarship Foundation to give back to the Minnesota soccer community. Since 2014, we have donated nearly $30,000 to help 33 male and female students pay for books, tuition and other college-related expenses. 

Last weekend, we hosted our 3rd annual Spam FC Scholarship Dinner at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. The event was incredible - definitely one our best, ever! 

The night was filled with laughter, stories and lots incredible Khmer and Croatian food. Some of the items on the menu were egg rolls, spring rolls, curry, cabbage rolls and fried rice. We also had beer, wine and whiskey to wash the delicious meal down as well. 

In 2014, our first year, we raised $2,500. In January, the first month of 2019, we raised nearly $20,000. It was an incredible night and we are so appreciative of the generous donors that gave between $50 to $5,000. 

Our mission has always been to build a community to help students that have been positively impacted by soccer achieve their higher educational dreams. Last Saturday was another step closer. 

As our community continues to grow, we invite you to be a part of it. Because what we do at Spam FC goes beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. We are providing young people financial and moral support and a platform to share how soccer has impacted their life in a positive way. We are empowering them to reflect and analyze the game from a different lens in hopes that they will be inspired to apply the lessons they’ve learned about the immense power of inclusion, community and failures to their daily life. 

At this moment, we are finding our groove and creating some momentum. But I feel like we’re just getting started. As a grassroots organization, we are always looking for support, media coverage and partnership. 

So, again, I invite any of you that stumble upon this piece to be join us. The soccer community in Minnesota is pretty diverse, which I absolutely love - we want to include everybody. If I didn’t end this piece with an analogy, then it’s just not me. 

If life was a soccer game, walls would be momentary fixes, not long-term solutions. As a self-acclaimed Spam FC captain for many years, I’ve always been optimistic and strategic about finding alternative ways to protect my team from conceding, so we can improve and grow. To do so, I would encourage my team not commit desperate fouls in our defensive thirds during meaningful moments. I don't like setting up walls, I don't like giving dangerous free kicks; if we're serious about protecting ourselves against our opponents, we have to find other solutions. I mean, just check out what Messi, Piro and Beckham did to wall. There are walls around them.

- Van Hong

Player Profile: Jay Garmondeh

Our NPSL Pre Season coverage continues with the kicking off of a brand-new segment for the website – Player Profiles. We start with a player from NPSL’s Northwest Conference who was on the FC Mulhouse Portland squad which won the Western Regional Championship and went all the way to the league semi-finals in 2018. We reached out to Jay Garmondeh, who tells me he’s divided on the Messi vs Ronaldo issue, as he is a fan of both of their play—although, Jay did admit he’s more of a Barcelona fan...

Let's start at the start, you play for NPSL Northwest side FC Mulhouse Portland, did you grow up in Portland? Where did you go to school? Did you play soccer at school or club soccer or both?

Yes I play for FC Mulhouse Portland wearing the number 10. I grew up in Liberia, which is a country in West Africa and I lived there for 12 years before coming to the US. In Liberia, soccer is very popular in terms of how often it’s played in communities and watching it on TV, it’s part of our culture. There are no academy or organized leagues so you growing up learning to play on the streets with friends. You create a team with your friends and find other communities of kids to play against in a game. We played bare footed without cleats or shin guards and we made jerseys out of t-shirts and wrote numbers on them. I remember soccer was an everyday thing for me; after school or on the weekends I would just walk around my neighborhood trying to find pickup games. Those were the best time.

When I got to the US it was in the summer and my dad was a referee so I would follow him to his games. That was when I got exposed to organized soccer and saw kids playing with matching jerseys, shin guards and cleats all the time.  

I started playing soccer in the US at recreational level at the Aloha Youth soccer club. Then I got invited to play competitive with the Westside Metros academy (which is now the Westside Timbers academy) where I played throughout middle school. I had to stop playing for the club after middle school because the money was too much for my family. I was disappointed by that but I understood. I went to Aloha High School in Beaverton, OR and I didn't play soccer in high school because I was part of a competitive cross-country team.

Did FCMP recruit you or did you go looking for the next level and came across them? How's the standard of play there versus what you've seen playing other NPSL clubs?  

In college I was recruited to run track and cross country but after a year or so I decided I want to play competitive soccer again. I started training by myself, then playing in Sunday leagues to keep gaining experience until a friend of mine told about a team he used to play for and he took me there to train and tryout for them. Back then it was the Portland Spartans which is now FCM Portland. I’ve been with the club ever since and this upcoming season will be my fourth season with them and I would like to wear the captain’s armband one day.  

Jay and the NPSL West Regional Champions (Photo courtesy: J. Garmondeh)

Compared to other NPSL clubs, the standard of play on my club has gotten better then when I first started playing there and I feel like we are there now. Our coach wants us to be discipline and to work for the team so if you’re coming off the bench you have to be ready to make an impact.

What position(s) do you play? What drives you? Are you looking to make it to the next level or are you just enjoying life and playing on the side?  

I am a winger, left or right but my best position is the left wing. I also have experience as a striker or an attacking mid. I am very competitive and passionate about the game and that's what drives me. On my team you have college players and former pros with lots of experience so to be able to compete with them I have to work harder. Which means training by myself at school in terms of running, passing the ball against the wall, shooting, weight room and skill moves. To compete with the other team in the league I have to be ready mentally. This off season I focused on attacking and improving my left foot to be more accurate with it.

We don’t get lot of exposure in the NPSL but I definitely would like to play at the next level. Right now, I'm in school at Oregon State studying electrical engineering so that has priority but I train on my free time to improve my game.

How do you know when you've "Made it?" What does that mean to you? If USL or a NPSL Pro team came knocking, would you give it a shot?

At this level I always need to work on my game and there is always more room for improvement. As a player you’ve made it when you are playing at the most competitive level and we soccer players have lots of ambition. If a USL or NPSL pro team came knocking it would be a huge opportunity and a decision would be after talking with my family. I have about a year and a half left in school before I graduate but you never know. Right now, I’m just focus on working for my team.

Jay and the NPSL West Regional Champions (Photo courtesy: J. Garmondeh)

Who are you most looking forward to playing against this season? Is there an actual rivalry with PDX FC or are they just two clubs in the same town in the same league​?

This season I’m looking forward to playing against Spokane Shadow, they were first in the conference last season and I’m sure they have gotten better. Yes, there is a rivalry with PDX FC, it’s very intense playing against them. I think they will be one of the tougher teams in our conference this year. They also have Ryo (Asai) who will have a full season with them and he’s really good. It makes me happy to know that both of our teams represent Oregon in the NPSL and I hope more clubs join our conference from Oregon.  

You guys went pretty far in the playoffs last year; give me your predictions, who wins the Conference? Region? and League?  

It’s hard to make predictions because of the quality of teams we have to compete against. We can only focus on what we can control which is working hard in practice to develop chemistry within our team, being discipline and adding more depth to our team. I think if we can do that, we will have a successful season. But each year our focus is winning the league and hopefully we can do that.  

For more information about FC Mulhouse Portland: http://fcmportland.com/

Player Profile graphic artwork provided by Cory Mizer. For more of his artwork, check out his gallery on our site.

Expanding the Map: Denton Diablos

It started as a conversation between myself and Brian Burden. We had both been talking with expansion clubs for the 2019 NPSL season and were comparing notes. Brian came up with the idea and pitched it. What if we followed these two clubs over the course of this season. Got close with the people involved, discussed the process of building a club from scratch, week by week. He came up with the idea and I named it, “Expanding the Map.” Over the next year, we’ll be working with two expansion clubs in the NPSL, each of us producing an installment article every two weeks on what the club is working on, dealing with, planning. The clubs are coming from different levels of development and vastly different parts of the country. Today is my first installment of Expanding the Map: Denton Diablos.

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Putting together a team from scratch seems incredibly complicated from the outside looking in. Discussing that process with Damon Gochneaur, co-owner of the Denton Diablos, doesn’t make it seem any less complicated. What is clear, however, is that there is a plan for the club and they are ticking boxes off as they move towards the opening match for this expansion side.

“We’ve got a lot that needs to come together, but I think we’re in a really good position.”

The first and biggest focus of the club currently is staffing the team with players. To get there, the team has been holding open tryouts in Denton, looking for the right mix of players to field a competitive side in a conference full of strong teams. Two open tryouts have already been held with one more to come on the 17th of February. The tryouts that have been held have sold out and the upcoming one is on track to sell out even faster than the previous two. Two weeks out and the slots are already halfway filled.

I’ve always been curious about paid tryouts, if they are money makers for clubs, so I probed a little on how much was being charged. Denton charges $50 for entry. But Damon was quick to offer that there’s more value being offered than shot at a roster spot. “Every player gets two tickets to a home game of their choice for the Diablos’ regular season. We give them a t-shirt as well. The fee goes to the staff and actual physical logistics it takes. What I tell every kid that tries out, ‘If you come back to the club, this is the last money we’ll ever ask of you.’ Talking to other clubs at the annual owners meeting in December, if you go too low [with the fee] you get kids that aren’t qualified.” The tryouts do require a large number of staff present. At each tryout there’s 6-8 staff members, a head coach, a general manager, and one of the owners.

The tryouts has been held at a facility with two fields, each turf, and the players divided up to scrimmage against each other. The staff is evenly divided between the scrimmages to observe and collect data about the players involved. So far the team has worked out 88 players, 44 a tryout, 11 players per team to scrimmage each other. What type of players are showing up for the tryouts? “The first open tryout we had, the best player on the pitch, in my opinion, was the oldest player there, 33 years old. He was so composed on the ball, so well positioned, played with so much knowledge, you could tell. We’ve gotten everything from the youngest kid was 17… but mostly it’s kids just out of school, 19-20, 30%-40% of the group. The other group is just out of college, 22-26 [age] range, that’s another 40%-50% of the group. That’s the bulk of it.”

Denton is taking the approach to roster building in an interesting fashion. The goal is to carry a player pool, somewhere over thirty players, to offer the club flexibility for its game day roster. The players will “train, get equipment, be officially registered with the club, the whole nine yards.” The players will be competing for the starting eleven throughout the season. The club has 23 players signed and rostered, so the pool still has room to grow through the upcoming open tryout. Those already on the squad include players with “national team experience, MLS experience, international club experience. Guys are current NCAA All-Americans and local standouts.” That description certainly sounds as if Denton will be competitive from day one.

The depth of available local talent was part of the plan in putting a club in Denton. “When I made this bet, that Denton would be a great community to try and make this team home, part of it was the knowledge, that when I graduated from high school twenty years ago, I could go field a team of 15-20 guys, just out of my group, that would have been really strong. In the twenty years since then, the metroplex has exploded and with three academies, thirty classic league teams, and all of the different opportunities for kids to play now, there’s just so much talent getting turned out in the metroplex every year.” Does geography and demographics give the Diablos an advantage over other clubs? Damon certainly thinks so. “I’m not a guy who gambles much. Talent, both from a coaching standpoint and a player standpoint, I felt it was just overflowing [in Denton]. It’s crazy.”

With much of the club’s focus being on finalizing the rosters and locating player talent, the challenges of starting a club from scratch means even more for Gochneaur to deal with. “Right now, I feel like it’s the hardest it will ever be, because there’s never been more things trying to get created out of nothing with so many moving parts.” Aside from rosters, the club is working to nail down sponsors, developing and solidifying those relationships - with the goal of finalizing kit sponsorships. Kits have to be ordered for players. And there’s the issue of where games will be played. Denton is home to the University of North Texas (UNT). The Diablos have entered into an agreement with the University to play their home matches at UNT Soccer Stadium, just over 1,000 seats, but it can hold up to 3,000 - if you include standing room. But there’s still details to nail down - specifically beer sales and parking - and finding out what will be allowed in the facility as it pertains to game day atmosphere - drums, smoke, horns. “We’re 90 plus days away. We’ve got a lot that needs to come together, but I think we’re in a really good position.”

“We’re approaching the season as a brand new club, with a lot of unknowns.”

While there’s a tremendous amount of hope that Denton will be a great success, I asked Damon if he was prepared to lose money. “You have to be. You have to get into your why - why would you do this? Yes, am I prepared to. Do I plan on it, no. The first place I always go in conversations [about the club] is ‘I want to know the worst case scenario,’ because then I can plan, mitigate potential losses. So yes, I’m prepared. I’m not doing this as a part of my portfolio from an investment perspective, but we plan on creating a sustainable, and profitable club starting in year one.”

When I asked Damon about the schedule for the season, he mentioned that he didn’t want to reveal any information that wasn’t public. However, while the schedule isn’t public yet, he was willing to tell me that the beginning of May will see the first matches played in the 2019 edition of the Lone Star Conference. As Gochneaur described it, moving back from that match, the club plans on playing several friendlies in the second half of April. Which clubs will face off against Denton remains to be seen, but Gochneaur did offer that Denton’s opening regular season match would be against a conference opponent, but not against local rival, Fort Worth Vaqueros.

Looking forward to the next two weeks, the milestones are big. Later this week, the schedule should be announced for the 2019 Lone Star Conference. And with that announcement, all the things that come with a schedule can begin happening - selling tickets, planning fan engagement, building a buzz. And part of that buzz is the second milestone Damon is looking towards, announcing the first player signings for the club. As he put it - “Who and when are we playing and who will be on our team!”

- Dan Vaughn

XSL: Regional Growth of the Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Steven Ramirez

UPSL Fall Championship Preview

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

Inocentes FC

Dan Vaughn

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

The Regular Season

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

The Playoff Run

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

Players to Watch

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

Prediction

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

Cal United Strikers FC II

Steven Ramirez

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

The Regular Season

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

The Play-off Run

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

Players to Watch

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

Prediction

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

Jonathan Collura joins GCPL

Jonathan Collura has been sending messages throughout the US since he became the Founder and President of Bugeaters FC of Nebraska. Now, his move to join the Gulf Coast Premier League’s Board of Directors not only sends a message about his particular ambitions and perhaps the pathway of his club, but also sent a message that is beginning to resonate more and more at the levels of American soccer below those sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation.

“Regional leagues are the pathway at this level.”

The GCPL announced the move on Thursday, January 24th and it immediately struck many as a savvy move for the relatively young league. Founded in 2014, the GCPL has spent much of its life consolidating its modest gains and insuring that there is a league for these clubs to play in that is not too large to be sustainable, both in terms of the travel expected, and the membership of potentially toxic clubs. Now there are 18 clubs that will call the GCPL home in 2019 and with expansion comes risk. This is where Jonathan Collura sees himself as being an asset for the GCPL. “I had a vision of helping to develop clubs and giving them sound business models. As you know, I believe that leagues are about the clubs and should help focus on them being sustainable.” Collura’s background at Bugeaters will certainly help those new clubs just starting out, but it is his experience in England that informs much of his focus on the club level in the US.

He is also on the Board of Directors for the National League North (Tier 6) club Bradford (Park Avenue). This is the first tier in English football that regionalizes, with Tiers 1-5 being national leagues. In an area roughly the size of Michigan, that is very possible. Even in this small geographic region, the need for local focus and regionalization is understood to help all the clubs at that level remain sustainable. The pyramid is constructed in such a way that the steps from amateur levels to professional are more gradual, with local leagues giving way to regional, and finally national before introducing clubs to the challenges of the professional levels.

The challenges of national leagues become much more pronounced in the United States due to the sheer size of it. Conversely, the focus of the GCPL has always been local, and this is something that resonated with Collura. “I contacted the GCPL guys and had quite a few discussions with them. Independent, locally managed and club focused is what I immediately found them to be,” he said. This independence is also something that will strike a chord with those who have admired Bugeaters whether in Nebraska or from afar. The club has consistently marched to the beat of its own drum and blazed new trails in American soccer. This type of club that is seen as more significant than any league or entity they belong to is exactly the type of club that the GCPL targets. Collura immediately saw the similarities between the things that drew him to start Bugeaters and the GCPL.  “I said that I wanted to help them continue what they’ve built and add some of my acumen to the mix.”

His acumen is not limited to the sport of soccer either. His experience in banking and corporate finance give him more ability than most to assist clubs in not only succeeding financially in the short term but establishing a foundation to achieve true sustainability. “Focusing local and ultimately on development can only happen if you have a good business plan,” Collura added. This is where the local focus turns from the type of idealism that drives many a supporter of a lower division side, to the pragmatism required by the executives of the clubs that operate in those divisions. Collura understands that this will ultimately be about solid, sustainable growth both in a commercial and branding sense if this venture is to succeed. So with Collura making this move to the GCPL, what does that mean for his other venture, Bugeaters FC?

The GCPL announced in November 2018 that they were adding a new conference to the league’s set up. The Great Plains Premier League (GPPL) will be “operated and commissioned by the GCPL in the 2019 season.” This development would not seem to be a coincidence, as Bugeaters sits squarely in this new conference’s region. It has yet to be announced whether they will be involved in this new venture of the GCPL, but suffice it to say that the writing seems to be on the wall as Collura joins the Board of Directors of the parent league. Collura has not commented and you will have to make your own inferences as to the way ahead but Collura’s ambitions are transparent. “I have always wanted to help develop the game on a larger scale than just a club… I intend to help [the GCPL] with the mission that they have done so well with.”

The sustainability of regional leagues continue to be a draw for more and more clubs, with the high standards they set for members being a further incentive. Much of the expansion of this model, focused on local ownership of community clubs that have a solid, sustainable approach to their business, will depend on the success of the model in the GPPL as well. If it is successful, it is not hard to imagine an expansion of this model across the country. With lower barriers to entry in terms of finances than the NPSL, but more vetting and exclusivity than the UPSL, the niche for these leagues could be getting bigger. Time will tell if the GCPL’s model continues to expand, but with Collura helping solidify the team at the helm, the GCPL may just become the standard by which all amateur leagues measure themselves.

- Phil Baki

Pablo Maurer: The Beltway Outsider

One of our favorite follows on social media is Pablo Maurer (@MLSist). Regardless of his growing reputation as a soccer journalist, his opinions are always his own and independent, regardless of the subject - and we love it. Dude will give you car advice, update you on the newest DC United transfer, or show you his most recent photos from an abandoned hospital. He’s been known to write for a number of websites (some soccer, some not), but he’s most recently with The Athletic. He’s interesting, smart, and informed. And he took the time to talk to Protagonist.

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So we don't forget this later, thoughts on pro/rel?

I don't know, I see both sides. But I'd say my views are those shared by the bulk of soccer fans in the US - I'd love to see it happen, but don't know that it's realistic? I also don't have a business degree and haven't studied up on pro/rel enough to know whether it's feasible or not in this country. But it's undeniable that it would inject excitement and a whole other competitive edge into the game in the US. I hope it happens someday - and when it does, I hope it isn't a watered down MLS1/MLS2 thing.

What's your background as a soccer fan?

My mother's side of the family is from Spain - she came to the US a couple of years before my birth. My first language was Spanish and I lived there for a time as a child/visit frequently. The origins of my fandom start there - being obsessed w/Atleti as a kid. When MLS started up in 1996 I was just relieved to have any kind of an outlet to watch pro soccer.

Obviously you’re a DCU fan, what appeals to you about MLS as a league (and conversely, what do you dislike about the league)?

To clarify, I'm 100% not a DCU fan, never have been. I'm not really a fan of any team in MLS, as it would interfere with my work covering United and other goings-on. I tend to become fans of players, or human beings, in the league, which is how I ended up watching a ton of NYCFC (I have long admired & loved David Villa, so it was a personal thrill to watch him work up close.) What I like about MLS is its accessibility - these are just everymen, for the most part, who live in the community, who aren't paid insane salaries, etc. I like that a lot. What do I dislike about it? The quality of play has improved but is still dreadful from time-to-time. 

What's the DC soccer scene like?

Vibrant. It's a city full of Latin-American immigrants and it shows; on any given day of the week I could walk a few blocks and find a pickup game, if I wanted.

You shared a trip to Mark's Stadium on your twitter. Does American soccer history interest you?

I've written pretty extensively on the history of the game in this country. I did a deep dive into Team America, a failed NASL franchise in DC, and have been working for years on a comprehensive history of the Washington Diplomats. I've long said that every club in MLS should employ, at least part-time, a team historian. It is a small expense that would ensure that a lot of the game's recent history isn't lost forever.

Should something be done to preserve that site? If so, should USSF or the NSHOF be involved/lead?

Hard to say. I have done dozens of photo essays on abandoned places in this country and often I almost prefer them when they're an empty lot, a place to reflect. That having been said, it would be fantastic if someone stepped in and just put a pitch - even an artificial one - in that lot. Of course I don't live there and I don't know how much it would be used, whether it's even necessary, etc, but that sort of thing appeals to me. 

From Maurer’s photo twitter: @abandonedstates

Why do you think there's such a lack of soccer history appreciation in the United States?

It's just too recent. The same thing happens with architectural styles - Brutalism is one that comes to mind. A lot of that stuff from the 60's, 70's is just too recent to be appreciated for its historical value  or to have accrued any kind of aesthetic appreciation but too old to be modern and relevant - so it just gets lost. Same thing is happening with the game in this country; there's not a huge appeal to spending weeks of your life researching a soccer team from the 60's, or 70's, but it should absolutely be done, because the people who played on those teams are dying now. Thankfully many folks have done good work preserving the game in this country, but it can always be better.

Do you follow any lower league sides/leagues?

Not actively, but I will watch any game you put in front of me. I certainly watch plenty of USL, watched plenty of NASL when it was around. 

Do you see any future where the American pyramid i more aligned/functional? What would that look like, in your mind?

It would probably take a massive overhaul of the current system to make that happened - at the federation level and league levels, etc, so I don't know how realistic that'd be. But again, it would only be good for the game in this country if the people pulling the strings either found a way to integrate the different levels of the game (via pro/rel or otherwise) or were replaced with people who can.

What role should the lower leagues serve in a functional pyramid? Should college soccer be eliminated, modified, or left alone?

Can't say I feel qualified to answer either [of those]. I think there are a lot of guys out there writing about soccer who are faking it a bit. I resolved years ago to not offer an opinion or write on anything I don't have some intimate familiarity with, and the college game - and lower-level stuff, too, is just stuff I haven't fully wrapped my head around.

You’ve got a day job (as a mechanic). What should every car owner do that they don’t?

Change your goddamn oil and keep air in your tires. Also: read your owner's manual. You own a piece of machinery that's worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars and you can't be bothered to read the operating instructions? You'd ask a lot fewer dumb questions if you did. 

Best album of last year?

Loved Dawes' "Passwords", Neko Case's "Hell-on" was also fantastic. 

Livonia City FC Add International Experience to Coaching Staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detroit City FC

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

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

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

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

Milwaukee Torrent

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

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

In Conclusion

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

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

- Dominic Bisogno

An Ask for Support

When I founded Protagonist Soccer, I wasn’t 100% sure it would be successful. Like many of the guys who write for the site, I’ve written for a lot of blogs that went nowhere, quickly. It’s hard to be creative. It’s hard to attract attention from the public. It’s hard to keep things going, especially if it doesn’t take off right away. But that’s never stopped me from trying so we started up the site.

I will also tell you that I never expected to make any money from the site. So far that has held true. Every advertiser dollar (plus a lot more of my personal dollars) has gone into the various projects and site management costs. While, most likely, you don’t know me in real life, I’m just a regular dude with a wife, kid, and a mortgage. I live in El Paso and really love local soccer. This is a passion project for me. I someday hope it pays off financially, but I’m ok knowing that it probably won’t.

As the site kicked off, we had close to 20 writers committed to generating content. We also had three editor types (we called ourselves Founders). Within a month and a half we were down to nine writers and one founder. One of the nine was promoted to assistant editor, Joshua Duder. We also have a copy editor, David Baker, who reads about 90% of what we post for grammar and structure (not this one!). Our writers, who are from all over the country are: Dominic Bisogno, Phil Baki, Steven Ramirez, Brian Burden, Aarik Long, Joaquin Colon-Nava, Jason Weintraub, and Shawn Laird. You’ve read their work and know how much they appreciate lower league soccer.

As we’ve pushed forward with the site, we’ve strained to find a way to pay the guys doing the heavy lifting. Advertising may eventually offer an avenue, but it’s not there yet. With no other obvious options, we’ve come up with this. Today, we are launching a Patreon. We will not be putting in a paywall, because they suck. Instead, we’re asking our readers to consider supporting the writers who are producing the content. I will not be taking a cut from funds produced from this endeavour. The money will be split evenly between the active writers and our copy editor.

My experience with Patreon accounts hasn’t been good in the past. “Content is free so why pay” seems to be how we all operate now. But I also trust the readers of this site. You all know the struggle of trying to stay afloat and you also know that: if everyone contributes a little, it will go a long way. So I’m asking our readers to sign up for $5 a month. Less than a latte. Less than ticket to a single soccer match. Less than a quarter a day. If you do that, we’ll send you a cool sticker and a newsletter each week. There are a couple of more expensive tiers, but, if you don’t have the money for those, don’t worry about it. Give what you can.

This is a direct call to fans of lower league soccer to support an independent media source dedicated to the sport. I’m asking for you to show appreciation to our writers. Thank you.

This is our Patreon.

-Dan Vaughn

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

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

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

Rochester FC Tryouts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Dominic Bisogno

Working Your Way Up

For amatuer soccer players, signing a professional contract is the next step. That step is often hard to reach for most players, especially in the American soccer pyramid. If you don’t belong to a development academy, MLS academy or don’t place among the best collegiate players, the path to professional soccer can be the biggest leap for a talented player. But for those players who grind daily and continue to evolve their game, the professional opportunity may present itself.

Recently the Las Vegas Lights of the USL Championship announced the signings of multiple players from the lower leagues. I had to opportunity to interview Eric Gonzalez, who played for Cal FC of the UPSL and the Riverside Coras FC of the NPSL, about signing a professional contract with the Lights.

How does it feel to sign a professional contract with the Las Vegas Lights FC?

It's an amazing feeling to sign a professional contract with the Las Vegas Lights FC.  I'm so happy to be here and thankful that they gave me this opportunity to achieve this dream I've had since I first started playing soccer at four years old.  I'm ready to give it my all for the club and this city!

Eric started the 2018 season with the Coras where he played as a center midfielder. His vision and passing ability allowed him to help control tempo and find the right penetrating pass. He became a staple with the Coras and played majority of the matches. Once the fall season hit, Eric moved to Cal FC where he was deputized as the starting left back and played every match. Cal FC went on to dominate the UPSL SoCal North Pro Premier and Eric’s passing prowess helped his club earn result after result.

How has your previous play in the UPSL and NPSL helped you prepare for this moment?

My previous play in the UPSL and NPSL really helped me get to this point in my career. I was just playing in the UPSL with Cal FC before coming to Vegas and it helped me earn playing time against great competition. Basically, these two leagues gave me opportunities in playing at a high level.  Both of these leagues are great leagues to be playing in if you're looking to play at the professional level.

Not only did Eric Gonzalez play, he also coached at Jurupa Valley High School and helped his kids understand high level soccer and the commitment it takes to one day play professional. His kids were well drilled and he always focused on teaching his team in the moment. While his Varsity and JV squads earned results, they also learned various nuances of playing the game. If a player made a mistake in a game, he would coach them and motivate them to play properly.

You also coached High School soccer, what message have you relayed to your kids?

Unfortunately, I had to let go of my High School team as I made my way over here, but one thing I've always told them is to never give up on their dreams, whatever that may be.  If they have these dreams, then through: hard work, dedication, and sacrifice they can achieve their dreams. Most importantly I told them to never give up.

This next step in Eric’s career is a big one, that can hopefully propel him on to the next journey. His career progress should be an example that lower league clubs strive for. Sure, the ultimate goal for any club is to one day move up in this broken U.S. Soccer pyramid, but, until that day, moving players and personnel up should be the main priority. A move like Eric’s shows the importance of lower league clubs and that not only has me excited, but Eric as well.

What excites you most about living in Las Vegas and playing in the USL Championship?

So far, I've been really excited about the different types of food here. I live 5-10 minutes from Chinatown where they have a different variety of Asian cuisines that I've been trying before preseason started. I'm also really excited to be playing in the USL Championship. I'm looking forward to the competition, the new experiences of being in the USL, and getting an opportunity to get better on this great team!

The lower tier leagues have continued to show their ability to prepare players for the next level. Whether it’s domestic or abroad there are many opportunities available for hard working and talented players like Eric Gonzalez. I look forward to seeing the progress of his career and the progress of the other players, like Eric,  who continue to move into the professional ranks.

- Steven Ramirez

Christos FC: Next Man Up

Despite a change at the top, it was more of the same for Christos FC last fall. Chris Wilson, a former player for the club, took over managerial duties from Larry Sancomb, who has moved on to coach FC Baltimore Christos of the National Premier Soccer League, prior to the Maryland Major Soccer League’s Fall 1st Division season.

Despite losing two games early, Christos closed with seven straight wins, including a 2-1 victory over World Class Premier Elite FC in the championship game. The fall title is the fourth in a row and seventh overall for Christos FC.

“The change from Larry to Chris was not a huge one for us, but a positive one,” said Mamadou Kansaye, a holding midfielder who scored on a penalty kick in the final. “Larry was great with us, but it was a seamless transition.”

Jacob Bender scored on an assist from Pete Caringi, III for Christos FC’s other goal in the final. Brad Benzing made five saves with Joe Glos, Mike Scott, Mike Swiercz, Malcom Harris and Alex Bullington strong on defense in front of him. Bullington missed much of the regular season with an injury, and defense in particular was a position where Wilson had to be creative.

“We were missing our outside backs at times due to injuries or just being short players,” Wilson said. “I moved Danny Baxter from outside mid to outside back and he played 90 there in our 3-1 win over World Class Premier Elite FC in the regular season. This fall had some obstacles no doubt, and we knew we would struggle at times for numbers, so this made winning very satisfying.”

Josh Patterson won the league’s Golden Boot, contributing six goals and four assists for Christos FC. Wilson, who joined the club after graduating from Johns Hopkins in 2011, even played three times to cover spots this fall. The club’s depth was tested, but ultimately held up.

“We battled a lot of injuries throughout the season, and we also have a lot of guys coaching in the fall, but our depth speaks for itself and this is a team that is built on camaraderie and chemistry,” said Benzing, a mainstay in goal for Christos, along with veteran Phil Saunders, since graduating Millersville University (Pa.) in 2014. “Sure, we dropped a couple of games early, but we made sure we bonded together. Chris was one of our brothers from the beginning and we knew he was the right choice.”

Kansaye, who moved with his family to Maryland from Mali in 2002, reached the College Cup with UMBC in 2014. Several of his teammates then are also teammates with Christos FC now. He gained notoriety for his free kick goal against DC United in the fourth round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club was successful then and he sees no reason for that to change moving forward under Wilson.

“This is a group of guys who enjoy each other’s company and love playing,” Kansaye said. “We put pressure on ourselves to win, but there really is no pressure. We understand that we are not 20 years old anymore but many of us have also played at high levels as recently as the past couple of years. We know how to compete.”

The club has been around since 1997, and many of the founding players are still heavily involved with the club, even playing on Christos FC’s over-30 or over-40 sides. When players speak about the club’s brotherhood and why it helped prove that Wilson was the right choice to take over, it’s not in throwaway terms.

“Chris knows all the players and has relationships with each of the guys; the transition went fine,” said Jody Haislip, co-founder and General Manager of Christos FC. “There are certainly different personalities, but many of the current guys have been part of the team for 4-5 years, know Chris, played with him and respect him. He has been with us for eight years and with the success we have had, nobody wants to lose Maryland Majors or Rowland or Stewart.”

Players continue to joke that Christos FC is referred to as the team that never practices or trains together, but that is the case. Wilson sends out a call for players on Monday and gives his squad until Thursday to respond. The success here is a mixture of discipline (guys do train by themselves or in smaller groups during the week), a comprehensive organizational knowledge of the roster, and the club’s historical ability to pick out the right guys.

“We might not practice and train, but we love to compete and we know how to win,” Benzing said. “Physically, people do their own weight training and running. I work 50 hours a week, so I hit the gym every morning, and a lot of us play during the week as well. We never expect to lose. It’s awesome to be part of the things we do now.”

Benzing points to the club’s history, including the support the younger guys get from the veterans, as keys to sustained success.

“We are able to mesh with the older group of guys, which is special as well. We have Christos Weekend, where as many of us who can head down to Ocean City. It is a great time to bond, as are the road trips when we go out of state. They put in the hard work to put Christos FC on the map. They put in a lot of time, and it is weird how they seemingly hand pick talent and find the right type of guy for our brotherhood. I swear, Larry and Jody never held a tryout. You can’t just be good at soccer and join our team.”

It is now on to the spring cup season for the club. Although Christos FC is out of US Open Cup play – the club lost on the road at Virginia United in the third round of local amateur qualifying in November – for the first time in three years, Wilson has his squad primed and ready for the Rowland Cup and Stewart Cup.

“It’s tough. And we have to put best foot forward every week,” Wilson said. “Teams are looking to beat us and get past us, but I think we may have the best Christos team we have ever had. We have to put it together and get some more giant championship trophies for the store.”

Wilson is referring to Christos Discount Liquors, the club’s original supporter and its namesake. Walk in and you see several of the club’s hardware on the left, behind the cash register. That includes the Rowland and Stewart Cups. Christos FC has won each tournament each of the past three years and has byes in both through sometime in February.

The Rowland Cup, established in 1914, is Maryland’s Open Cup Competition. The winner represents Maryland at the USASA Region I qualifiers of the Werner Fricker Cup. A total of 14 teams are expected to compete, including eight from Maryland Majors, one (Blue Side FC) from the Mason-Dixon Soccer League and five from the Washington Premier League. All three Maryland State Soccer Association Leagues are represented. Christos FC has won this cup seven times.

Christos FC is also one of 11 teams expected to compete for the Stewart Cup, which it has won six times. The winner of this tournament moves on to compete for the Amateur Cup and the Fritz Marth Trophy. Christos won this trophy in 2016 after scoring twice in extra time to defeat the Milwaukee Bavarians, who are the current trophy holders.

“We are the hunted and we know that we have to prepare ourselves, even apart from each other, because everyone wants to kick the crap out of us,” Haislip said.

Kansaye, who also played for the Baltimore Bohemians in the Premier Development League and briefly with the United Soccer League’s Charlotte Independence, loves cup season.

“Quality teams come out with the best they have and the pressure builds,” Kansaye said. “The great feeling of winning never goes away. It never gets old. We take a lot of pride in representing the Baltimore area. That blue-collar mentality plays a huge role for us. I am playing for pride and trophies.”

Wilson has that first Maryland Majors trophy under his belt as manager. He wants more.

“It’s one-and-done and I love it; every game matters,” Wilson said. “The ability to win a national championship has always meant the world to us. I want to have the best 18 available to make another amateur cup run. It is a big deal for us. I wear my Christos FC gear and a lot of people know we are from Baltimore now. It is a huge soccer market, from the youth on up, and we love playing for the area all over the country.”

- Brian Burden

Patrick Infurna: New Perspectives on the Beautiful Game

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

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

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

How'd you get into soccer journalism?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Partick with NY Cosmos owner, Rocco Commisso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Vital Vintage Kit Announced

Last year, Protagonist Soccer dipped its toes into the apparel market by partnering with Icarus FC to create a reimagined throwback kit. That kit was the Vampire Association Football Club, a club that existed in the early 1900’s in Southern California. Choosing that club was intentional. Protagonist has a big goal of growing knowledge of the American soccer history. What better way than purchasing a kit?

Today, we announce our second kit in the Vital Vintage line, Chicago Spurs. Rather than repeat the details of the club, which Dominic did a great job of covering, we are happy to share the kit with you now. We’ll talk more about the specs of the kit moving forward, but know that all Vital Vintage kits come with a customer designed sticker to celebrate the crest of the club.

The funds raised cover the cost of the kits, with any extra going to running the site. Buying a kit is a great way to support Protagonist Soccer. With the bonus of getting a slick, historic kit. It’s a win win win.

If you’d like to order one we have a special promo if you order it within the next 24 hours (end January 4, midnight). Use the code “DAY1” and get 10% off the kit. 24 hours. Use it or lose it.

Going On Fifty: Riverside Coras FC 2019 Introductory Press Conference

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

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

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

A Professional Expectation

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

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

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

Honoring the Dream

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

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

— Robert Lopez-Guardado

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

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

A New Coaching Staff for a New Era

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

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

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

— Shane Shelton, Head Coach and General Manager

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

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

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

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

- Steven Ramirez

Maryland Majors: A History of Development

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

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

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

The Past and the Present

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

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

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

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

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

A Product of the League

Bill George, MMSL Commissioner

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

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

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

Looking Back, Looking Forward

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

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

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