Old Man Yells at Sky: Mid January Blues

Mid January is upon on us. All the fun of the holiday season has faded, with the trees on the curbs, waiting for pickup, the winter weather escalating, it’s a drab time. Perfect for a grump like me, so let’s do it.

1. UPSL playoffs are finally getting to the good stuff, with the end of the Fall season coming up. Playoffs have whittled down to the last 12 clubs or so (it’s an estimate, who can tell) but you wouldn’t know it. The league website is pretty but not easily understood, especially when it comes to the playoff structure or how far we’ve progressed in the structure. Our site has been mocked for not following the playoffs, but who the hell knows where we are and who is playing. We follow the sport and can’t figure it out.

   Next season the league needs to make it easier to understand. If you go to Wikipedia for the 2019 Spring season, the playoffs are laid out and easy to understand. 2019 Fall page doesn’t exist. Who is responsible for putting out this information and making it easy to understand, the UPSL. So blame us, but maybe you should be looking elsewhere.

2. Haters hating - Maybe it’s our fault, but the level of expectation on our site is very often not in line with the reality we work within. Our site is a volunteer site and we strive to do great things, but people, no one is getting paid to do this. We’ve got 5 writers generating at this point, so bear with us. Anytime people complain about our content or a miss on a story, I throw my hands up. I always want to tell the person complaining, well write a story and we’ll run it!

   By the way, if anyone wants to sponsor the site or advertise, we’re always listening. Money would help a lot.

3. Bad Music - I know I’m a snob, but the “friend activity” tab on Spotify is hilarious. Some of my friends have terrible tastes. People who I respect in most subjects, simply miss the mark on music. Listen to good stuff, sure have your quirky choice, but please, stop listening to music from 20 years ago that was shitty then.

4. Hats - I watched this old guy walk by right now and he was wearing a fedora-looking hat, like it was 1955. I wish we lived in an era where a hat was required gear. Of course, 1955 was shitty for anyone not white or male, so I’m not blind to the facts, but a nice hat is a good look. Talk about being old, that’s old!

5. Other Football - Any thoughts on the NCAA Football Final you ask? Nope. Dumb sport and I don’t watch it.

6. Shut your mouth - Listening to people complain about their spouses/partners is easily the worst part of life. It’s a situation you’re entirely in control. If you don’t want to be with them, leave them. It’s gross and unseemly to complain about someone who is not there and you’ve made commitments with. I don’t care how much your friends like you, they don’t want to hear it.

7. MLS Draft - I don’t mention this because I’m a fan of the league, but because it’s cool to see so many players who spent time in the lower leagues moving up. We should all celebrate that sort of movement and be thrilled for the success of the guys putting it on the line for our entertainment. Clubs should make it a bigger deal, if you ask me. Certainly leagues should.

   I do have beef with MLS clubs and the league not mentioning the lower league clubs that worked to develop the kid’s talent. Even if you want to argue (like some online have) that the real development happened in his college training, at least have the professional courtesy of mentioning the club that helped. The colleges get a shout out, so why can’t the grassroots clubs that are working so hard, mostly at a financial loss. Getting mentioned on a website, a webcast, a wrap-up, it’s a nice pat on the back and completely deserved!

8. UPSL Mailing List - Anyone else on the UPSL mailing list suddenly get hit with ads from “league partners” this season? Maybe it’s not illegal and I’m sure they would offer a some logic in defense, but it seems clear the league shared their email list with the people paying the bills. Not cool in my book, just saying.

9. 1917 - I’m headed to see this movie today and I’m so excited. If you haven’t seen a preview or heard anything about it, here’s the trailer. But more than the trailer, look at this behind the scenes stuff. For someone like myself, who loves history, this looks like a winner. I’ll offer my take next week, just to piss off the “stick-to-soccer” people.

10. Music for your day - “Straight, No Chaser” - Thelonious Monk - A lot of guys my age want to deepen their musical library, expand out into the unknown, forever hoping to be cool someday. There’s no way to do that more than getting into jazz. But for many jazz seems like a foreign country, a place where we don’t speak the language, understand their currency, or have a grip on social norms. So allow me to offer a guy you need to try - Thelonious Monk. Coolest dude in the room. Always. Bad mother on the piano. Just an all-around awesome musician and a great starting point in jazz appreciation. nuff said.

Fort Wayne FC Prepares for First NPSL Season

If you’re new to the Indiana Soccer Scene, the Hoosier State has seen quite a bit of transition in the fall and winter of 2019. And as 2020 officially kicks off the next decade, growth at the lower tiers of the US Soccer “pyramid” has been relatively rampant. With three (3) leagues represented for new teams (announced as of January 5th), there are plenty of clubs / teams throwing their hat into the ring. One of the newcomers is Fort Wayne FC, set to kick off their inaugural season in the NPSL later this year. In an effort to build a competitive roster from scratch, Fort Wayne FC hosted its first ever open tryouts on January 2nd, 2020 at the Plex in Fort Wayne. 

The tryouts were structured into two unique two-hour blocks for players aspiring to compete at an NPSL-level of play. With additional tryouts scheduled later in the winter and spring, as well as a new coaching staff that is still coming together in the off-season targeting their player pools and networks, Fort Wayne’s first event saw just over 100 players make an attempt to impress the staff. 

Fort Wayne FC joins South Bend Lions, Indy Saints FC and FC Pride as new men’s side entries into the competitive landscape in 2020 out of the Hoosier State. Below is a run down of the tryouts for club from the eye of a former non-league club guy…

Around 55 players attended the 2:00 pm tryout session. Fort Wayne FC had “staff” members coordinating warm up and small-sided game sessions. It appears as though the club has done a tremendous job in developing relationships with the local youth clubs to get coaching staff volunteers to support their efforts. Nine goalkeepers were being put through their paces in the middle of the Plex’s pitch, while simultaneously four small-sided 4v4 to 5v5 matches were played. 

Once warmed up and loose, the players moved into 9v9 side-by-side matches. Away from the pitch, in talking with Fort Wayne FC’s President (and Co-Owner) Erik Magner, there were several media engagements to perform throughout the day. In addition to interviews, Magner helped facilitate media coverage of the tryout itself. With a viewing platform above the field, along with field access, there were plenty of decent camera views to grab footage. A quick note about the Plex – great facility for this type of event, and training for a club at this level. Fort Wayne FC managed credentials and had several volunteer staff (and all front office) members ensuring the event was closed to the public. Through connections I’ve made with the club first with Old Bhoys Soccer Club, and now through Hoosier Soccer Corner, I was able to coordinate with the club to grab a credential and watch both sessions. Inside the Plex, the club has branded extremely well, and was prepared for the visibility this tryout offered. Look for more high-profile coverage and news in the coming month(s) from this side. 

Back to the pitch…

As the 9v9 sessions wound down, there were only 2-3 players that showed sufficient potential in my opinion to be truly considered for an NPSL-quality side. These players that warranted further evaluation stuck around for the 4:00 pm session. The overall quality of the early 9v9 session was not of the highest quality, but the coaching staff were able to identify players that may help round out a roster or possibly look at a reserve-type of squad approach. With more Hoosier-state clubs, and entrants int eh OVPL, MWPL, etc., there may be opportunities for a deeper roster to stay match-fit should the reserves be needed down the stretch for NPSL. Additionally, the club hasn’t confirmed their cup competition intent yet – but look for that to potentially include Amateur Cup or Open Cup ambitions. 

As the 4:00 session kicked off, there were far fewer goalkeepers (five?) and a total number of around 50. As mentioned above, a handful of players remained from the 2:00 session to compete. The quality of play in the second group was noticeably higher overall; however, still noticed some deficient play and inability to connect that won’t be tolerated at the NPSL level. This session started right into 9v9s, and eventually morphed into a full-sided 11v11 matchup, rotating players in considerably throughout the timeslot. The second group was more tightly coordinated; and the flow between sessions or groups of players was much smoother than the first session. Several players showed nerves throughout the session. After the 11v11, the coaching staff pulled the trialists together for a summary and breakdown of the day – much like after the 2:00pm session. Following film review and coaching meetings, Fort Wayne FC has decisions to make as well as a second round of tryouts in February to continue to unearth players to help field a competitive side this season. 

Ultimately, these tryouts provide an ideal opportunity for the club to evaluate any talent they may want to invite back and build dialogue with over time. Roster size and overall goal / vision of competitions continues to evolve; the club has ambitious management. NPSL league play is the first priority here; but also building depth and consistency with a high level of training. 

From an event point of view, Fort Wayne FC represented themselves well to the players – it felt more big time than Old Bhoys SC events I’ve run…

That said, there are plenty of opportunities for the club to improve upon. There is plenty of time ahead of the first friendly, which is still TBD. Should make for an exciting soccer season in the Fort. If you’re a fan of this level of soccer, get involved with the Three Rivers Regiment – the local supporter group. Should be a good time at FWFC home matches!

- Andy Hayes

Old Man Yells at Sky: War is Hell Edition

Been a couple weeks off away from the gripe desk, but I’m back, so let’s do this thing.

1. War is bullshit. I don’t care where you are on the political spectrum, wars haven’t been a winner for either side since the first Gulf War. The amount of money we’ve burned in the Middle East is staggering, in the multi-trillions of dollars. I don’t give a fuck what they said on state run tv, no one other than Osama bin Laden ever hit us in a real way. And he was a non-state entity. So what the hell are we doing kicking the hornet’s nest in Iran? Aside from the obvious, trying to distract the public logic, which is so cynical it makes me cringe, I just can’t understand why we keep going back to this well. Stick to sports, got it.

2. MLS kits are boring. I understand that MLS is single entity, but does that mean all creativity has to be sucked out of the kit game? It’s depressing as hell, especially when you head down the tiers into USL and further down. So many great kits! By the way, I know a lot of our readers don’t watch USL, so look at this kit from El Paso. Nothing in MLS is even close.

3. eMLS is ridiculous. Phil writes about gaming on the site, so I’m not going to go crazy here, but I do have thoughts. If your league was #1 in your country, trending on social media, attracting the best talent, etc (in other words, had your game entirely together), then I would understand. But you have to run before you walk. It’s like a doughnut shop who has mediocre doughnuts but wants to expand to breakfast burritos. Get your house together before you expand. And I know MLS has been around 25 years, but even fans of the league have to admit it isn’t really connecting outside the most diehard domestic fans. Making announcements about your “e league” is the stupidest reach in logic from a struggling league propped up by expansion fees. GTFO.

4. Coffee is a hellofa drug. I’m not saying that like the mormons mean it, but that the feeling you get from a great cup of coffee is very similar to when a drug hits. Not that I’m getting crazy high all the time, but I’ve dabbled in my lifetime. But I’m halfway through this iced coffee and I can feel the controlled euphoria rising inside. Just a tiny bit of crazy being activated. And that’s a lot like a drug. Inject it into my veins, friend.

5. Holiday season is officially over and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a wonderful thing. People can get back to being normal assholes, instead of the hyped up crap that we have to deal with for a month and a half. Good riddance to the holiday season which will kick off mid October this year, I’m sure.

6. Anyone else seeing what Maryland Bobcats are doing on social media? We’ve retweeted them, but you should really take a look at the content the club is putting out. Slick graphics and polished videos, all while staying connected to the local soccer that made them so successful in Maryland Majors as WCP. The rest of the NPSL should be taking notes, because they are doing things the right way. I cannot understand why the league continues to flounder in this area. Go to a local college/university and hire a couple of interns to craft a digital strategy. Of course pay them if you can, but at least you get a bunch of sharp minds who are getting the chance to put classroom teaching into real world context. It’s a win win! Just do it!

7. Purity tests have to go. Last week my wife and I picked up season tickets for El Paso Locomotive, our local USL side. There are some that follow us that will shit on me for buying into the Don Garber machine, but I couldn’t disagree more. Of course, I worry about authenticity and connection to grassroots soccer, so I’m sensitive to the shot. Locomotive has been a model of how to connect to the local fan base - smart promotions, success on the field, signing local talent, tapping into the city’s culture. They’ve done things the right way because they are owned by locals. Maybe that makes them different from some of the boogiemen in the league, maybe it doesn’t for you. I was skeptical when they set up shop, but they won me over. I didn’t sell out, I bought in. But don’t expect me to post about USL here, this isn’t that sort of site.

8. Travel is amazing. On another personal note, in 29 days (yeah, we’re counting), my wife and I are headed to Europe for 14 days. Paris, London, Amsterdam on the docket. Pretty pumped. But before you ask, no, I’m not doing any soccer matches on the trip. We had discussed it, but I could tell the wife was not interested. So I let it fade off the itinerary. I will be in London when Chelsea hosts Manchester United, but I love my wife too much to drag her there. She puts up with enough of this stuff already.

9. Is there anything more terrifying than dementia? There was a time when our ancestors were just trying to survive, dying by 45 after incredible cruel and horrible lives. But now we get to live so much longer due to advances in medicine, cultural stability, developments in technology. Little did we know what that would mean. Now we have a host of diseases our ancestors never had to face (because of all the sabertooth tiger related killing). Losing your mind is easily the scariest thing I can imagine. The pain it inflicts on those around you. I don’t know what I’d do, but maybe I’d follow the path of Hemingway. On that note, I love this quote from a friend of Hemingway after he killed himself - “I know that 'Papa' [Mr. Hemingway's nickname] wouldn't give a damn how it came out in the papers.” I hope all of you know I’d feel the same way.

10. Music for the Day. Proud of You - EARTHGANG

    EARTHGANG is one of the best hip hop groups on the rise. Happened to catch them opening for JID two years ago and wow. I had always been reluctant to show up at hip hop shows because I’m a middle aged white man. Doesn’t mean I don’t listen to a bunch of great artists in the genre, but in person I feel like an imposter, or even worse, an interloper. But at that show, I took a chance, it was in a small club in El Paso and my wife, who has none of my fears, encouraged me to come along. So glad. This group is so much fun and reminds me of Outkast in all the right ways. Not saying they are as great as Outkast (because maybe no one is?), just remind me. Anyway, this song is great and you should listen to it. nuff said.

Oakland first, always.

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

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

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

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

What’s your favorite memory of this first season? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s in the works looking forward? 

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

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

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

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

Which gear-wearing celebrity thrilled you the most? 

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

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

Different. 

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

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

Any potential friendlies on the horizon?

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

2019 Protagonist Soccer Club of the Year Ballot Results

There’s something about a surprise that seems completely appropriate for New Year’s Day. Everything you thought you knew was in the past and you wake up in a new world, completely different from what you thought. So welcome to the new year, peeps, nothing is what you expected.

When we announced the clubs for the voting a week and a half ago, I had every expectation that this morning I would be writing about the runaway win of one of the two big clubs nominated, Chattanooga FC or Detroit City FC. Both clubs have massive followings and it just made sense that, because of how the voting was structured, a dedicated group of followers could drive their club to the win. That didn’t happen this time, much to my surprise. While both clubs had strong showings, neither were able to push it over the line, and we have a different winner today.

The structure of the voting may some problematic to some, because it allows voters to vote as often as they want. That decision was actually intentional. Because bigger, legacy-type clubs have larger followings and bigger name recognition, they should be able to draw more voters, while smaller clubs will have more difficulty in generating votes. Allowing multiple votes from individual voters allows for a committed, but smaller group, to have a greater impact in the process. That is without a doubt what happened this year.

Our site has focused heavily on the NPSL, while the UPSL and other leagues get coverage, just in a more limited scope. There are a host of reasons why that is the case, and it might change in the future, but for now that is the state of things. This year, we added to that palette of coverage the WPSL and UWSL, the two strongest national leagues in lower division women’s soccer. With a limited staff, coverage is still in the early stages but we’re proud that we’re expanding and think the women’s game deserves the effort.

And that’s why it’s so exciting to announce that the 2019 Protagonist Soccer Club of the Year is Pensacola FC of the WPSL. Rather than rehash all the reasons why they are completely deserving of this award (check the nomination story), we’ll focus on their determination to continue voting even when other clubs began to drop off. Even late into the evening on New Year’s Eve, votes were coming in for Pensacola. There were votes for other clubs, but Pensacola was the bulk of the votes at a time when many people were turning to celebration.

Pensacola’s win typifies the kind of grit and determination that marks the lower leagues in this country and women’s soccer in general. Get up and grind, every single day, someday you’ll get recognized. Congratulations on the win to a very deserving club.

The Rest of the Ballot

Several other aspects of the ballot results should also be mentioned. We tossed in a second question, in which we asked, “who was the second option for each voter.” This question was included to see how clubs were perceived by other fans. Who garnered the most respect among other clubs’ fans. The results showed a massive showing for Chattanooga FC and Detroit FC, with the clubs grabbing almost 60% of all the votes cast. There’s something to be said for game recognizing game.

Finally, we included on the ballot a write-in portion, “What is the biggest problem facing grassroots soccer?” The results ranged from funny to serious, but the overarching subject throughout the responses was the lack of oversight and structure within the game, caused by the Federation’s inattention. MLS and USL were also big factors in the write-in voting, specifically efforts to expand into markets and stealing market share. Lack of money rounded out the majority of the answers, either due to low game-day attendance/fan support or lack of corporate sponsors.

Some answers deserved to be mentioned for sheer comedy: “Alexi Landas.” Not sure who that is, though it’s safe to guess its a misspelling of a particular soccer pundit’s name. “Need more Beer!!!!” Though I’m not sure if the voter was just ordering another round and slipped it into their vote? Another along that line was “Wives telling us we can't play” which is clearly the biggest problem facing at least one voter. And we can’t forget the need for more noisemakers, “Need more cowbell.”

My favorite response is a call to action: “Too many people who think they know best despite having no real success of experience, need more doers and less talkers.” Appropriately enough, it came from a Pensacola FC voter. And that’s advice we can all take into 2020. More doing and less talking.

- Dan Vaughn

Cosmopolitan League Mid-Season Update

The four games played on December 15th are the last games in the Cosmopolitan League until March as winter creeps into New York City. I began my first “9-5” job in Brooklyn, recently, and moved to NYC from my hometown of Atlanta in September. Before moving here I did not know a lot about the Cosmo League. As I became adjusted to my new home and in between trying to figure out the subway system as well as a street grid that actually makes sense, unlike Atlanta’s which I grew to love, I wanted to learn more about the league and the city’s culture of soccer. Writing updates about the league has helped me begin, but I plan on writing more about the history of the league as well as other aspects of soccer in the city. For now, however, I will continue my updates with a more in depth mid-season analysis of the Cosmo League. - Paul Kowalczyk

Division 1

The season so far has been a close race for the top four playoff spots. With the Pancyprian Freedoms’ emphatic 7-1 victory over Sporting SC, they are ahead of Lansdowne Yonkers FC only by goal differential. While these two teams have seemed to establish themselves as the front runners, there is only a seven point difference between 3rd place Doxa FC and 8th place KidSuper Samba AC. Zum Scheider FC 03 Started the season strong but has fallen to fourth place since the Pancyprians and Lansdowne Bhoys made up games rescheduled after cup competition commitments. Previous league leader and last season’s runner up, Cedar Star Academy, has also shown how easy it is to fall from the top. After thrashing KidSuper Samba 10-1 in Week 5, CSA went four games without a win, only drawing once. Division 1 is very competitive and there’s no room for error with historic teams such as the Pancyprian Freedoms and Lansdown Yonkers FC.

The Pancyprians have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times and have just qualified for the 2020 tournament beginning in March. The Lansdowne Bhoys have also established themselves as a nationally competitive team, winning the Fricker Cup this past August and in 2017 as well as the National Amateur cup in 2017. The Pancyprians faced off with the Bhoys in the final of Eastern New York State’s Amateur Cup on December 10th, but the final score has not been posted online (typical lower league soccer). Lansdowne’s Twitter posted the halftime score with the Pancyprians up 1-0, but did not continue updates. The Cosmo League website and the ENYSSA website also have not posted the score. The winner of this game moves onto the USASA Region I portion of the tournament and will face other teams throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Doxa FC has also looked fairly good this season and just gave Lansdowne Yonkers their first loss of the season. Having had to focus on cup runs as well as the league, they have picked up a few losses, but are still in the playoff race, currently siting in 3rd. Having played Lansdowne twice already, and tying the Pancyprians the first time they played Doxa FC will like their chances of securing a playoff spot and could be a dark horse if they make the playoffs.

Another historic team that has been a little more surprising with their performance this season has been the NY Shamrocks. The Rocks made the playoffs last year after finishing the season in 4th place, but are currently sitting at the bottom of the league. They are tied with promoted side Sporting SC at 7 points, but have played one more game than Sporting SC and are behind on Goal Differential. While there are still 8 games to go, the Rocks will need to turn things around to avoid being relegated back to Division 2, having been in Division 1 for the past four years after their promotion at the end of the 2014/2015 season.

Way Too Early Predictions

Teams that make the playoffs: Lansdowne Bhoys, Pancyprians, Cedar Stars Academy, Doxa FC

Finals: Pancyprians v Lansdowne Bhoys

Winners: Lansdowne Bhoys

Teams Relegated: KidSuper Samba AC, Shamrock SC

Picking the current 1st and 2nd place teams to meet in the finals is a little boring, I’ll admit, but they have already faced each other in two cup finals so far this season and have clearly shown to be a step above the rest of the Cosmo League. On the other hand, Shamrock have not shown very much to prove that they will be able to stay up again this season. KidSuper Samba has also just conceded too many goals for me not to pick them as the second team facing relegation. Anything could happen after the break though, it is three months long after all.

Division 1 Table:

Goal and Assist Leaders Division 1 (As of 11/24):

Division 2:

Division 2 has been just as, if not more, competitive than Division 1 this season. Nine points separate 4th place from 11th place, but it seems the top three of Manhattan Celtic, Hoboken FC 1912, and Richmond County FC have established themselves ahead of the pack and will likely be three of the four teams that compete for the two promotion spots. I would include Real Ole FC in this pack, but they currently have a goal differential of -3 while the top three all have positive differentials in the double digits. Real Ole has six wins and four losses with no draws, but two of their losses have been by 4 goals and the other two by 5 goals. With such big losses and most of their wins having been won only by a goal, I just don’t see them being able to stay up so high in the table unless something changes over the break. However, three months is a very long break and a number of things could happen during that time, especially with how unstable things can be in amateur soccer.

Central Park Rangers have been struggling to handle Division 2 after being relegated this past season, but have moved out of the relegation zone with two wins out of their last three games. Hoboken FC, the other relegated team from last season has been handling the drop very well, having only lost one game to 1st place Celtic. The surprise of the season for Division 2 is how well Richmond County FC has done so far. Currently in 3rd place, the team was promoted after the past season from the Metro Division, as there was no Division 3 until this season. Jumping from Metro Division to Division 2 is quite a leap considering league rules dictate teams in Divisions 1 & 2 must also be able to field a reserve team which plays in a separate division. Richmond County FC has handled it with no problem however, only losing one game out of nine this season.  The Staten Islanders are a serious contender for promotion this season.

Way Too Early Predictions:

Teams that make the promotion playoffs: Manhattan Celtic, Richmond County FC, Polonia Gwardia, Hoboken FC 1912

Promoted Teams: Richmond County FC, Manhattan Celtic

Teams Relegated: NYPD FC, FC Japan

Celtic and Richmond County have just been killing it this year, they’ve been winning by a lot and only losing by one goal in each of their losses so it’s hard for me not to think they’ll move on. Last season, Division 2 was split into a North and South region so they did promotion a little differently but as long as two teams are being promoted, these are the ones I’m picking.  Picking teams to be relegated is a little more difficult, especially considering how close together most of the teams are in points, but FC Japan and the NYPD, while showing glimpses of success, are just not looking good. For the third time though, there’s a three month break!

Division 2 Table:

Close, but not Quite: Club of the Year Runners Up

We don’t always offer a reasoning on decisions, but because soccer fans are so goddamn passionate, we thought it would be a good idea to list some of the clubs we considered but eventually passed on. We don’t expect you to agree with our logic, in fact, we expect the opposite. But the twelve volunteer writers who make up Protagonist Soccer gave their input and we feel confident in our five finalists. So here’s the list of potential clubs we considered for Club of the Year and a brief explanation of our logic in why we didn’t select them. Enjoy!

- Dan Vaughn

Miami FC - Miami FC capped off a massive 2019 campaign with a rather unsurprising NPSL Championship. Soon after, the club originally announcing a move to NISA, then bought the rights to enter the USL Championship. They were the sixth club on our list, meaning they were the last eliminated, for club of the year. We wish them the best in the USL Championship, but that league is well outside of our coverage area. We decided to bump up another club instead.

Flint City Bucks - Flint City had a great run in USL League 2, winning the league championship. The club also won their third consecutive Hank Steinbrecher Cup, a USASA competition between amateur league champions. Both wins were impressive; however, we passed on Flint City for several reasons. 1. Our coverage of League 2 is shoddy at best. We’ve focused on NPSL, UPSL, NISA, and regionals. So picking a club we haven’t covered AT ALL and nominating it for club of the year seemed foolish. 2. The impact of Flint City on the game has been pretty minimal so far. And we really tried to bring impact into this year’s voting.

Forward Madison - This is the one that we battled over, but we have reasons. First of all, credit to the club, Madison’s roll out was about as good as you could have. Beautiful logo, kit was spot on, amazing social media, all the boxes are checked and x’ed. Absolutely perfect in every way. The only other club that was as good (in our opinion) was Oakland Roots and they made our nomination list. The club made the playoffs and finished that run in the semifinals. But in the end, we are a lower league soccer website, focused on grassroots soccer. I know some may see no difference between what Forward Madison has done versus Roots, but our staff does, and that difference was enough for us to pass on the flamingos. The lower leagues are complicated and navigating this gray area isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

Orange County Football Club - Biggest mark for this club was their amazing success in the Open Cup. They were the last amateur side standing, knocking out two USL Championship clubs, Orange County SC and Las Vegas Lights in the second and third rounds, before losing to an MLS side, LA Galaxy, 3-0. However, a disappointing 3rd place finish in their NPSL conference, which eliminated them from playoff competition, negated all the USOC success. We’re very excited about what’s going on with OCFC and can’t wait to see how they perform in 2020.

Providence City FC - Everyone knows the Rogues because of their spectacular branding, which they took a notch up in 2019, with the introduction of their Revival Brewing “shark kits.” Witty in their banter on social media, ever willing to troll but also encourage, PCFC is a model of a regional club doing things the right way. The club finished top of the table in 2019, with an impressive 10 point lead over second place. The Championship marked the crown of a massive promotion run that began in the third division three years ago. All of those positives made the club our top regional in the discussion, but, in the end, PCFC is a massive shark in a small pond. We’d love to see the club move into a national league, as they’ve established they are the best of the BSSL.

Club of the Year Nominee: Detroit City FC

In every industry, there’s a gold standard. Every competitor aims to replicate its success, to mirror results, to match the reputation, but the item that occupies that top spot is universally appreciated and admired. Even the haters and detractors throw their barbs with the knowledge they are doing it out of jealousy and they’d trade spots in a heartbeat, if they could. But no amount of wishing ever gets a thing to the apex position, instead it is achieved through hard work, dedication, passion, consuming ambition, fierce aggression, and a recognition that building something that will last will require massive amounts of sacrifice.

The history of the lower leagues is a bloodbath, awash with the corpses of thousands of clubs that have come and gone. Each year, clubs bow out of competitions and leagues, shut up shop and send out defeated emails to fans. It’s not the exception, but the rule in the current American landscape. Well-intentioned men and women have wasted millions of dollars and thousands of hours trying to create a lasting legacy of success for their club, only to watch the stands sit empty and the bill pile up, until eventually, emptied of resources and devoid of confidence, they give up. Sometimes it’s the plan, sometimes it’s finances, sometimes it’s the lack of fan support, sometimes it’s the players, sometimes sponsors can’t be found, and sometimes it just wasn’t meant to be.

To get to the mark of the gold standard, acts of faith and sacrifice are required. Honestly, there’s so much advice against trying it, most friends will have to be ignored. You’d be insane to believe you’re going to be the club which makes it. All of the facts tell any reasonable person to find something else to invest your time into. And the money, people have gone bankrupt doing this, throwing away retirement funds, burning bridges by borrowing operating expenses, maxing out credit cards in pursuit of the dream. None of it makes sense, but if you can push through, maybe you can climb the mountain of dead and failing clubs. That’s the dream anyway, that’s Detroit City FC.

Detroit City FC (DCFC) played its first season in the NPSL in 2012 and Alan Jacobson, a member of the Northern Guard Supporters Group (NGS), was there. Alan had watched other clubs try to connect with the city, but when he met Sean Mann, one of five DCFC owners, he sensed something different. “Sean made it clear that active support would not only be ok, it would be appreciated. The willingness to allow an organic culture to develop at DCFC is an example of the approach the team owners would take in terms of managing the team. As Sean has said in the past, they (the owners) are the “hosts of the party, not the stars of the party.” For a lot of people this was a big contrast to sporting events run by the big pro teams, where every game day element seems to be contrived and controlled.” Mark Navarro, a fellow member of NGS, seconded that idea of organic connection. “City stands out over other clubs because it genuinely cares about the community in which it plays and wants to see that community thrive, not just in soccer, but also in the well-being of the people who live there.”

Writing about DCFC without discussing the importance of NGS would be ignoring a primary part of what makes DCFC the gold standard. Lindsey Pehrson, DCFC Communication Director agrees. “Without Northern Guard, Detroit City FC wouldn't be what it is today. They are the life and soul of this club and they are largely the reason for the growth the club has experienced over the years. We are supporter built through and through.” Many clubs have attempted to replicate the connection between club and fan, but the organic symmetry between the club on the pitch and NGS in the stands is magic. The rising smoke of the flares, the screaming faces in the crowd, the banging of the drums, the club feeding off that energy on the field, there is nothing like it in ALL of American soccer.

Navarro highlights that feeling as contagious and bigger than soccer. “I’ve met many people in NGS who didn’t care about soccer until they came to a match and saw what NGS does. And, as a result, they’ve fallen in love with the club, which is our ultimate goal as a group. It’s about the environment: Not just the smoke and the drums and all of that, but the fact that all people--regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, religion, citizenship status, political affiliations, or any other identities--are welcome into our section as long as they love City is vital.”

This year saw the culmination of 8 years of growth with the club announcing a move to NPSL Pro, then Members Cup, and eventually into NISA - DCFC would become fully professional. But the business of the NPSL saw the club win its division, before absolutely dominating the short but heavily stacked Members Cup lineup. Detroit lost a single match in the league, led by a stifling defense which only allowed 4 goals in 10 matches. The play on the field matched the passion of the crowds filling Keyworth Stadium. When asked what stood out, Pehrson listed off the accomplishments, “winning the NPSL Great Lakes Conference before hoisting the 2019 Members Cup championship, beating Atlas FC at home, going nine games unbeaten in 23 league games, etc. It's hard to boil it down to just one moment.” Pair that on the field success with the continued expansion of Detroit City Fieldhouse, a 75,000 square foot indoor multi-sport facility, and the announcement of the creation of a women’s side. 2019 was a ringing success for Le Rouge.

Every club in the country would do anything to have what DCFC has, few are willing to work as hard to achieve that goal. The club has succeeded by putting city on their heart and never straying. And that connection to Detroit has made DCFC’s players family for the fans that fill the stands of Keyworth. They cheer for their club because they cheer for their city. It’s time to recognize the gold standard. It’s time to vote for Detroit City FC.

- Dan Vaughn

Club of the Year Nominee: Pensacola FC

I wanted to introduce this nomination with a list of women from history who have been ignored or slighted due to their gender. I found scientists, social activists, politicians, religious leaders, all of whom died without proper due for their contribution to society. But it all feels too trite, too rote. We all know women don’t get their due in this society or almost 100% of societies that have emerged over the last 200,000 years of human development. And yes, even those that pretend that somehow this current American society is somehow different in this respect, know this. Won’t admit it, of course, but they know it. We all do.

Men have exploited our biological size (on average about 6 inches in height and 35 pounds in weight) to place ourselves at the front of the leadership line. That position in line has allowed us to define what makes a great leader (typically it looks like a man, you can check history) so we can continue to remain at the front of the line. We’ve consistently pushed (mostly metaphorically, but sometimes literally) women into household jobs and raising kids while we fought wars, plowed fields, created businesses, and built empires. Oh, we also enslaved our own kind, committed mass genocide, exploited the weakest of our societies, and destroyed the earth. Yes, we did many good acts, but those get mentioned all the time (usually by men propping up our fragile egos), so maybe we should let the other side of the ledger speak for once.

We’ve social norms, governments, laws, and religions to enforce these rigid ideas about gender, to the point that even in our “progressive” western societies, outspoken women are “shrill,” while men are “bold.” And no single vote will correct this problem, because it runs deep, to the core of everything around us. But maybe it’s time to decide that excellence, regardless of male, female, non-binary, deserves recognition. We can look back into history and admit we screwed up, as a species, in our treatment of our own. Because human excellence doesn’t need to be gendered. And that’s why you should vote for Pensacola FC for club of the year. 

For Pensacola FC, 2019 was one of unparalleled supremacy in the WPSL. Not only did the club score 54 goals, they only gave up 4. That’s an unbelievable goal differential of +49 in an 8-match season. But for David Kemp, founder and head coach, “it was fun!” It’s doubtful his club’s opponents saw it that way. After crushing their Gulf Conference in the regular season, Pensacola rolled into the playoffs. Their dominant goal scoring run would continue throughout - the first match was 4-1, the second 3-1, the semifinal 3-2, and the final ended 4-3 in OT. The club had scored 14 goals in 4 playoff matches against the best teams in the WPSL, including two clubs filled with NWSL reserves. Kemp highlights those final two matches, specifically the final, “the WPSL Semi Final and Championship games were incredible matches against 2 amazing opponents. We showed character coming from behind twice in the Final, and that shows just what type of group this was.”

And what a group. This year’s squad featured forward Uchenna Kanu, who represented her native country of Nigeria in the 2019 World Cup. At 22, she already has 4 appearances for her national team. Also, on the team was Briana Morris, who scored 13 goals in the regular season, and two very important ones in the WPSL Championship match. Three players scored in double digits during Pensacola’s 2019 campaign, though no one may have been as important as GK Kathryn Scheele, who’s 1.12 GAA smothered all WPSL opponents. The lineup was deep, and featured 4 All-Americans. Kemp highlights the big names, but always focuses on the stars who often get passed over. “We had so many performers who were not on the stat sheet, like Celine Rumpf and Heidi Ruth, who are integral to how we play. Their approach to training and playing this game are an example for everyone. We had tremendous success in the attacking areas this season, Bri Morris, Mollie Rouse and Hannah Godfrey all came through with strong seasons, as well as Ana Paula Santos being so adaptable to playing 2 or 3 positions for us.”

This is the third year in a row Pensacola FC has finished their season in the Championship match, but the first win in the final. When I asked Coach Kemp how Pensacola FC was influencing women’s soccer, he cautioned me but then pointed out that “we can be an example to other clubs and owners that you can be successful on a small budget and by promoting all the positive aspects of the game. We do everything with the ball, try to play a style that appeals to the players, and focus on improving the players.” When I asked Uchenna Kanu about her experience with the club, she mentioned that focus on improvement. “Everyone was always working harder than each order and making each other better. The training programs were well organized as well as the coaching staff. Overall, we had the opportunity to build relationships and long-lasting memories within the team. 2019 was an incredible season for me in general.”

I know that the vast majority of the readers of this site are male. I also know that the vast majority of our soccer coverage is focused on men’s soccer. And maybe we should think carefully about why that is. We are a nation that is DOMINANT in women’s soccer. Our national team is indisputably the best in the world, yet out women’s clubs go out of business and our professional league can only sustain 9 clubs. It’s time to recognize that the best soccer played in this country is played by women. And, if that is a fact, then Pensacola FC is one of the best amateur clubs in the world, certainly the best amateur club in the country. Following that logic, Pensacola FC deserves your vote, because they are the best, period.

- Dan Vaughn

Copa de Insignias Kickoff Announced

We’ve seen a handful of grassroots soccer organizations drop out of our country’s most historic soccer contest recently, and we wanted to offer a slightly less prestigious opportunity for them to re-engage in an open cup contest. Introducing the inaugural Protagonist Soccer “Copa de Insignia,” a battle-of-the-badges, a cool-crest-contest if you will, for the ages… or at least for now. If you are an owner, coach, fan, or player of a non-MLS and non-NWSL team, who’s branding you believe to be top-notch then this contest is for you and your beloved badge.

To nominate a badge, it’s simple. Follow and tweet at @Protagonistpods with your nomination. Include #Copadeinsignias in your tweet and that badge is now added to the pile the staff will be sifting through for our 96. Following that account will also set you up for voting, so don’t forget the follow!

The contest is set to include 96 American crests from clubs who participate in a city, state, regional or non-MLS / non-NWSL national set-up. Copa de Insignias will kick off in earnest on Saturday, December 21st and all the lower league logos will be arranged in 32 groups of 3 and available to vote on through Protagonist Soccer’s Podcast’s Twitter handles. Group stages will end Christmas day, Wednesday the 25th and the knock-out rounds will begin on the 26th. The final is set for the last day of the year, culminating in an announcement of the winner of the Copa, and Badge of the Year just before midnight.

The Grand Prize winner will receive 50 3x3” die-cut stickers of their winning badge from Stickermule; the other three semi-finalists will receive a Protagonist Soccer Sticker pack, chock-full of all of their opponents’ badges in sticker form! All prizes will be distributed no less than 7-days after the winners are announced and all awards are final. In addition to no MLS and no NWSL we will also exclude any affiliated teams in other leagues. Keep your eyes peeled for the next contest which benefits the least desirable lower league branding! While Protagonist may not be able to solve the greater problems of soccer at this level, we can, at the very least try to have a fun time and celebrate the stunning logos, badges, crests, etc… which all of you amazing clubs have come up with!  

Club of the Year Nominee: Minneapolis City SC

Sometimes we take things for granted. Not because they aren’t important, but because they become such a part of our everyday routine that they blend into the background: your favorite pair of shoes, the pillow that you’ve used enough to fit perfectly to your head, the handle of your front door. The things that just fit. The things that work. They are the things that make life normal when things are great, and make life bearable when things are falling apart. We rely on these things to the point that we ignore their craftsmanship, excellence, and perfection. Why? Because we see it every day, like a security guard standing next to a Van Gogh, it loses its meaning. But every once in a while, maybe we should stop and admire the beauty of that thing we take for granted.

If you open the back of a 19th century watch, you can watch the tiny gears click back and forth, the interlocking switches and pulls, the mechanism that tirelessly pulls the hands around the dial, doing its job without complaint or protest. The machine works not because it was easy to construct, though it might lead an uninformed person to think that. It’s actually the opposite, it takes hours of planning, years of practice, and centuries of accumulated knowledge to construct that tiny watch you hold in your hand. Nothing you hold was done by accident, it took trial and error to eliminate any needless movement that might throw things out of balance. Without previous models you couldn’t hold a piece of functional perfection. And of course it’s easy to take it all for granted, because the past fades in memory till we forget it ever was different than it is now. But there was once a time when people looked into the sky and tried to guess how much daylight was left.

The reality is that great clubs require a tremendous amount of effort to exist and then, to overcome the real hurdle, keep existing. We can take it for granted, but the heavy lifting must continue under the surface for the club to maintain their social media, to compete this season, and to be back next season. That effort should be recognized and no club embodies this effort more than Minneapolis City SC.

The list of accomplishments for MPLS City this year is ridiculous: opened a physical club shop, revealed some of the hottest kits in grassroots soccer, clinched their second straight conference title, won a playoff match, had street artists Kamp Seedorf (Amsterdam) create team murals (and a slick one of Prince, as well) all over the city, announced the creation of UPSL side to foster the development of their youth players, maintained one of the best social media presences in the game, released complete financials to allow clubs to mirror their success, this list is insane. But when I asked Dan Hoedeman, club co-founder, what he was most proud of this year, this was his response:

“I take the most pride in the response when Isaac "Goose" Friendt was injured playing in a game for DePaul University this fall and then, due to complications with his surgery, he almost lost his leg. It is terrible what happened. But when we found out, we rallied (with the soccer community across the country) to help raise money for his family. He's been involved with the club in a staff role. The players, volunteers, and everyone closed ranks--as they should have. And he is fighting every day, re-learning to walk, getting mobility in his leg again. He was a fantastic player. Probably our first fan favorite. I'm proud that he's a Crow and hope that if I ever face the adversity that he has and is facing that I will respond the same way, with his strength--and that I will have people around me who close ranks around me the same way, too.” That is the sort of person Dan is and it’s the kind of thing that makes MPLS City such a great club. The fundraiser is still ongoing.

The ties between the club and the city are so strong because of a particular and unique approach taken in staffing the team. “We set out to start a community soccer club. As former players, we saw the soccer scene from that perspective and we saw a huge issue facing American, and especially Minnesotan, players (because of no Division 1 soccer program here, for example): very limited chances as you got older to play in a high-performance environment. Creating a high-performance environment for local kids is something we set out to do. So if, like NAIA and NCAA (and other top NPSL and USL2) teams are now doing, we instead brought in a bunch of academy rejects from Europe and South America then we wouldn't be fulfilling our mission. Potential wins aren't worth abandoning the chance to do something meaningful. Personally, I am completely baffled by the idea of a community team that doesn't include its own community.” In true Dan fashion, he offered a caveat, to be sure no one misunderstood. “In this politically charged climate, I like to make explicit that by "local kid" we merely mean someone who is here in Minnesota without us recruiting them here (and housing or otherwise financially supporting them being here). Doesn't matter when, how, or why you got here as long as the why isn't ‘just to play for Mpls City.’ We love when people move here--half of our founding group are transplants--and we want to be suitably open while also serving the community.”

I won’t lie, when I read the way Dan talks about his club, I think they deserve your vote. There’s something to be said for a club that focuses on taking care of its own community, that strives to embrace the changes of the world without compromising its beliefs, that never takes its attention from the players it develops. That’s the approach MPLS City has taken and whether you take them for granted or not, they will be there next season because of all the moving parts, pulling together to complete the task at hand.

“I think the fact that we have a mission beyond wins and losses matters. We are here to do something good--for local players and to help the community. That is where the value really is. So when I see a former player launch his post-soccer career and know it was helped by the network he got from Mpls City and know that someone in the club was a reference, an example I use because it just happened, that is really meaningful to me and to the volunteer crew. Nobody is in this for the money. Nobody makes any money, we're all-volunteer. We do it for the mission and that keep us going.’

‘Also, and this matters too, we're super ridiculous and it's a lot of fun. It has to be fun.” 

Vote for MPLS City because we shouldn’t ignore something just because it works like clockwork. 

- Dan Vaughn

Old Man Yells at Sky: Chaos in a Coffeeshop Edition

Middle of the week can just screw off entirely. You know you’ve still got two more days of the week and no amount of “hump day” jokes helps. Instead, it’s the grim realization that you will do this the rest of your life till you’re dead. Unless you’re rich I guess, but you aren’t reading this column if you’re rich. Eh, whatever, here’s the list of this week’s complaints. - Dan

1. Reading United did the right thing. Maybe? - So if you haven’t seen it yet, Reading United backed out of the Open Cup because they, like many clubs, count on college players to staff their amateur side. With the shift in schedule that USOC put in place last week, the first round kicks off in March, which is in the middle of the college season. That eliminates the U23 player pool and wrecks the chances of any club that counts on college players. As Reading put it in their statement: “This abhorrent scheduling decision forces the top USL League Two and NPSL teams, who afford an Open Cup playing opportunity to NCAA and U23 players in the USA, to completely modify how they structure a team, or worse, forces them to relinquish their deserved spot to a lower ranked team. The lack of consideration for such a large player pool is astonishing. We are very concerned this is another example of the public perception of the “tone deafness” that exists within US Soccer. We truly do not understand why US Soccer would essentially eliminate the playing opportunity for what is truly the best soccer player pool, outside of the professional ranks, in the United States.” Yowza.

   In the last episode of the Lower League Soccer Show, Dominic Bisogno and myself discussed this potential issue. It’s an issue. A serious issue and bravo to Reading United (part of the USL system, you fucking grumps) for standing up to US Soccer and stating exactly what the issue is and telling the Federation what’s up.
   
   But can I offer a slight critique of this? If clubs want to participate in the Open Cup, maybe they should expand their rosters and look for other talent. Certainly smaller-market clubs would struggle to do this, but most larger cities have soccer talent lying untapped because college players are holding on to roster spots on amateur sides. One sticking point might be roster rules of the Cup, but I don’t know those offhand. For sure dealing with the situation sucks (and you would hope US Soccer would be aware of these issues and CARE), but are there workarounds? I think so for SOME clubs.

2. Cold weather, where do you stand? - I like cold weather for the most part, but where I live (El Paso) the goddamn temperature goes from cold enough for a jacket, low to mid 40s in the morning to close to 65 in the afternoon. So this morning, I get up and prepare to walk to my car around 530a and the temperature is in the high 30s, but my jacket is in my car. So I have to walk my freezing ass out to the car to put on my cold ass jacket and wait for the heater to catch up. Just make up your mind already, weather.

   I have achieved peak old man grumpiness.

3. Same jacket syndrome - Yesterday I was at work and I looked across the counter and a lady in the line was wearing the same jacket. I know you’re imagining some pink glitter jacket, but nah, I wear a light adidas zip up when I work and she had the same jacket on. That made me think, when we buy stuff in a clothing store, there’s 30 of the same items on the rack, why don’t we see people wearing the same item more often? You’d think it would happen more often than it does, especially in small towns with one or two clothing stores. Just as I said that, this old guy walks into this coffee shop wearing what is easily the craziest patterned shirt I have EVER seen. So maybe no one could match up with that guy.

4. The UPSL should have one champion per year - I spotted this “discussion” on twitter. A small regional club was blowing up the UPSL on twitter for having two champions. While there were plenty of gifs being used (mostly by UPSL Communications guy, D. Pope), the heart of the argument is pretty solid. Two champions is a weird thing. We don’t have two presidents, it would be chaos. Honestly, this same argument is why I’m very opposed to the weird scheduling the NPSL is discussing with the wonky long schedule/short schedule overlap. Who’s the champion? Doesn’t it water down whoever wins? One champion, it makes sense. I doubt UPSL will change because money.

5. Don’t put your feet up in a chair unless that space is yours - Is there anything worse than the guy who puts his feet up in a public space? Maybe, but not at the moment. Are you the king? Don’t act like a jerk. It’s so pretentious. One exception, your foot is in a cast. I’ll allow it.

6. We fail the mentally ill in this country - I understand that mentally ill people are difficult to deal with, especially in public spaces. And not all companies are nice about it, oftentimes pushing out the perceived “crazy” types as soon as they disrupt the shopping public. But man, it sucks. Most of these people are out of their minds, need medication, therapy, professional treatment and there is nowhere for them to go. Cops either arrest them or push them out the door, but what kind of solution is that? There are some serious problems in this country and no one with power seems to care.

7. If you aren’t paying attention to Maryland Majors, it’s time to - We’re living in a golden age of great regional/state leagues. Bay State is a heck of a league. Casa in Philly is moving into that top tier. Buffalo and District is one of the best for smack talk. Honestly, there’s a bunch of fantastic leagues, but MMSL has some of the best small clubs in the game right now. Everyone knows Christos, but Steel Pulse is just as talented and definitely worth following. Top to bottom, the first division of MMSL is fun to watch. And speaking of following, Motorik in the second division is one of the must-follows for lower league twitter. Kenneth always has something interesting to say. I’m just saying regional soccer leagues are completely worth following, regardless of where you live in the country.

8. Recruit a college kid, why don’t ya - With social media becoming so vital to grassroots soccer, I can’t understand why more clubs don’t venture into their local universities and community colleges and check out the communications department, post an ad for an intern position, and give a kid a chance to grow their social media presence. Kids are steeped in that stuff anyway, you could work with them to create a marketing strategy and they would get a ton of real-world experience growing your brand, it’s a win win. Some people need to think outside their current box.

9. Everyone still locked in on Disney+ - Such a great service. Kid is constantly entertained. And I won’t lie, I have grown to love some movies that came out after I stopped watching kid movies. Please don’t hit me with “Disney is part of an evil plan to make culture shitty…” They are all doing it, so if you don’t like it, throw your tv, smart phone, tablet, and laptop out the window. Honestly, you should be a bigger influencer for your kids than the movies they watch. Pro tip: Moana is an awesome movie. Seriously.

10. Soundtrack? - I think I’m going to start adding in a song for each of these columns. That way I can improve your listening habits. My little way to brighten or darken your day.

    So today, let’s start with one of my favorite bands all-time, Pedro the Lion. Yeah, their heyday was 20 years ago, but so was mine. They got back together and put out a great album last year. This song is from that album, enjoy.

    By the way, I’ve met David Bazan, the lead singer, a couple of times, he’s wonderful. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Nuff said.

Club of the Year Nominee: Oakland Roots SC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Dan Vaughn

Club of the Year Nominee: Chattanooga Football Club

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

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I will not lie. When I sat down to write this nomination, I had a different club on the list. The staff had worked together to build a list of diverse clubs who all deserved recognition based on the year they had put together. We winnowed the list down to five amazing teams and I sat down to write the nomination article for each one. And as I began to write this particular article, I realized that I would be making a mistake to include the original club but skip over the other. Of course, that other club had every reason to be considered for this award, but, in the end, I could not, in good conscience ignore Chattanooga FC.

Clubs considered for this award were measured in multiple areas. Success on the field was an important factor, but it was certainly only one category that went into the decision. For Chattanooga’s part, the club performed well on the field this year. Before the NPSL regular season kicked off for CFC, the club scheduled a series of big-name international clubs in friendlies. Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala), Real Betis (Spain), and CSD Municipal (Guatemala) all travelled to Chattanooga to take on the homeside. And though the matches ended 0-2, 3-4, and 1-1 respectively, they helped elevate the club and American lower league football across the world. A series of domestic friendlies that included Detroit City (NPSL), AFC Mobile (GCPL), and Bugeaters FC (Independent) resulted in three wins for CFC.

Playing in the NPSL’s Southeast Conference, CFC ended the regular season with a 7-2-1 record, winning the conference easily. . In the regular season, the team only surrendered 11 goals, while scoring 29, for a goal differential for a conference best +18. Both Phil D’Amico and Oliva were chosen for Southwest Conference All-Conference XI, while midfielder Juan Hernandez was chosen for NPSL National XI. In the playoffs, CFC were eliminated in the Regional Semifinals by eventual NPSL champion, Miami FC

After six friendlies, the NPSL regular season, and the playoff match against Miami FC, it wasn’t a massive surprise to see the club struggle in the NPSL Member’s Cup competition. CFC finished third out of six clubs, losing 4 out of 4 matches against DCFC and NY Cosmos. Jim Hicks, one of the cohosts of the 423 Soccer Pod (he goes by @Chattagooner on Twitter), described the experience of the club playing in the Members Cup. “The addition of fall soccer was really cool. However, we had some of the worst weather that we have had for CFC matches. It put a damper on attendance and made it a little harder to really gauge interest. The results were a mixed bag as well. The team played well but just struggled to translate quality performances into positive outcomes.”

If we were only considering the success on the field, maybe Chattanooga would fall short of the other nominations for Protagonist Club of the Year. But what the club did off the field may have been even more important. 2018 had seen a USL League One side move into town and there were concerns on what might happen with the more established and entrenched CFC in the face of a new challenger. CFC went pro and public. Early 2019 saw Chattanooga preparing for the upcoming (at that time, anyway) NPSL Pro and, in preparing for that move, chose to sell shares in the club to raise funding. Club co-cofounder, Sheldon Grizzle, introduced the sale with this statement - “By selling equity shares, we’re expanding our commitment to Chattanooga and our fans, so that when Chattanooga Football Club wins, we all win.” The sale sparked massive interest in the club and was covered throughout the media. The club eventually raised almost $900,000 with over 3,000 shareholders/owners buying into the club from every state in the country and 25 different countries internationally. For Hicks, purchasing shares was just the next step of his ongoing relationship with the club. “It wasn’t a difficult decision for us to want to provide some additional support. The club had become a huge part of my family’s lives. Both of our boys played in the academy and most of our friend group has become centered around the soccer community of Chattanooga.”

With the rise of multiple issues stalling NPSL Pro, the club decided to move to the emerging NISA professional league, along with fellow Members Cup competitors, Michigan Stars, DCFC, New York Cosmos, and Stumptown Athletic. The only other realistic professional league would have been the USL, but several roadblocks made NISA the best move for the club. According to Jim Hicks, “First, someone already owns the territorial rights for this market and I don’t see the owners of that franchise ever allowing CFC to share those rights. Second, even if there were some agreement to share the rights, there are large philosophical differences between the leadership of CFC and USL. So, it was NISA or nothing as far as professional soccer and CFC.” On December 11th, NISA announced Chattanooga FC was officially a member of the new league.

And all of that progress as a club hasn’t gone unrecognized by the supporter group that has grown side by side with the club, The Chattahooligans. Galen Riley, one of the leaders of the group, spoke about what the year was like for him and his fellow supporters. “The year began with a historic public ownership campaign. We made a lifetime of memories during the preseason, earned a conference championship, and enjoyed soccer in the fall. CFC Academy is doing great, the CFC Foundation programs are doing critical work in our city, and The Chattahooligans’ projects like Prideraiser and Hooligan Hymnal are being embraced around the country.” What CFC has done this year has spurred the SG that supports it into doing even more in the community. As Riley put it, “The year ended just like it started, with our city embracing our club, and we are so excited for what comes next.”

Success in the NPSL. Success in bringing headline-worthy clubs for friendlies. Success in expanding their brand through the public sale of shares. Success in going professional. Success in joining an upcoming professional league. Success in inspiring their supporters to become even more involved. 2019 was marked with unparalleled success for CFC. All of these reasons make Chattanooga Football Club an excellent choice for your consideration. Chattanooga FC deserves to be named Protagonist Club of the Year.

- Dan Vaughn

"The Referee was Punched in the Face."

The story broke from a tweet by Carlos Alfaro Rodriguez (@carlosalfarorod) who was there covering the match for the Montgomery County Sentinel. Carlos had been live tweeting the UPSL National Quarterfinal between World Class Premier vs. Mass United FC when he posted this: “Update: the referee was punched in the face. It looks like the game is over.” Not a phrase read too often about a soccer match, but for a league that has had some crazy finishes, this was easily the craziest.

The match took place at Montgomery Blair High School, in Silver Spring, Maryland, this afternoon. The scoring in the first half began with Marco Martinez scoring for Mass United FC in the 34th minute. In the 37th minute, Olakunle Banjo equalized by scoring a penalty for World Class Premier after a yellow card for MUFC’s Reda Mokhtari. With the teams knotted up, it looked like the half would end and the clubs would regroup and ready for another 45. According to Evan Raimist, the PR/Communications Director for World Class Premier, this is when things got wild.

“At the stroke of halftime, the ref blew the whistle for halftime and look like one of their players got mad that the ref stopped what he viewed as a counter attack. The ref issued him a yellow (his second). A member of their bench (staff, not player) ran onto the field and then bumped into/punched the ref in the face as the other players were yelling.” With chaos breaking out on the field, the match was called and the police were called to sort out what happened. “The league made the ultimate decision to call the game and have Mass United forfeit. The ref crew called the police who responded, but the decision was left up to the UPSL and they decided a Mass United forfeit was warranted.”

The “member of the bench” mentioned by Raimist was apparently a parent of one of the MUFC players. According to a source with Mass United, it was “a parent of one of the players after a straight red card at the end of the first half.” Everything was still fluid when the clubs were contacted, and whether it was a second yellow or a straight red, that doesn’t really change the result.

For their parts, neither club is happy with the resulting forfeit for MUFC. A spokesperson for MUFC - “All of the players and head coach are extremely disappointed after sacrifices they have all made all year and an inexcusable incident destroyed a very competitive match…We cannot accept poor behavior by anyone that is on the sidelines. Much disappointment for sure for everyone involved. We apologize to all those involved.”

While WCP is thrilled with advancing, Raimist expressed disappointment in the way things ended. “We are happy that we get to go through, but definitely would have rather the players decide the match on the field. It was shaping up to be a good game and the 2nd half looked like it would be some exciting soccer. It’s disappointing the players didn’t get to decide the outcome, but we are looking forward to continuing to work hard and keep this season going.”

World Class Premier celebrate a well-deserved win. (image courtesy of WCP social media)

A league affiliated twitter account responded on social media, “Charges will be pressed we protect our referees across the country.” Whether this is the “official response” of the league, that can’t be verified. Our contact with the UPSL was reach out to, but so far no response has been received. If the league contacts us, we’ll their response to the story.

For the record, we also reached out to the author of the original tweet, to get his perspective, but haven’t heard back. His tweet reflects the importance of citizens/reporters willing to post to their social media about matches not being covered by most media outlets. We appreciate all of you out there and especially Carlos today. Keep up the great work.

End result, World Class Premier advance in the UPSL playoffs and continue a run of dominant play. Mass United’s run ends, but a club shouldn’t be judged by the unhinged actions of a single person.

- Dan Vaughn

Laredo Heat Expand to UPSL

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

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JJ Vela

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will talent move between the two sides?

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

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

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

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

- Dan Vaughn

Old Man Yells at Sky: They're Fucking With You Edition

This week we’ve got a great submission from a reader, which hopefully will increase as we go along, but don’t worry, I’ll find plenty more things to complain about. If you decide you like what you read and want to supply a subject, shoot me an email at oldpeopleoftheworldunite@gmail.com. I’ll try and insert it into next week’s conversation. So let’s get to it.

1. Baristas can’t spell apparently. Or so it would seem. This topic was supplied by Mr. Bugeater himself, Jonathan Collura. For those that don’t know, my day job isn’t running a soccer website dedicated to the lower leagues. Not that I would say no if someone wants to take over my mortgage, but for now I’ve got another gig that pays the bills. I work for the largest coffee-based company in the world, the notorious burner of beans (some say, anyway), Starbucks. I’ve worked for the company for almost 10 years and am currently a store manager. Somehow I managed to get into that position without once ever writing PIG on a cup, go figure. So this subject is near and dear to my day to day.

   Regardless of my position with the company, I have, without a doubt, misspelled a name or six during a shift on front register. A lot of people get pretty feisty about that, which I’m sure is what Jonathan is referring to. So let me speak from experience on this one. Names get misspelled for several reasons. 1. Parents are too creative - I know we all want our kids to be the special snowflakes they are, but butchering a name up to get that point across only guarantees some poor barista will misspell the hell out of it. When someone asks for a name and they say “Daisy” that’s what we spell, not “D’aysee” or “Daesea.” If that angers you, talk to your parents. Maybe they should have thought about that when they named you. 2. Sometimes customers mumble. - The reason your name is put on a cup is because we want you to get your drink, not someone else’s. This is especially true during the morning when there’s a drink coming out every 30 seconds. So while you are checking email on your phone and we ask for your name, take a second and speak it clearly. It’s for the good of both of us. 3. Fat fingers. - Ever see that episode of the Simpsons where Homer gets super fat and can’t dial his phone? Touchscreens at the POS are generally not the best ways to quickly and efficiently type a name. So sometimes a misspelling is just because my fat fingers mashed one letter instead of another and I was in too much of a hurry to notice or edit. 4. We’re fucking with you. - Sometimes it’s fun to embody a stereotype. So if someone says Pete, we spell it Peet or Peat or Petey. Work gets monotonous for us too, we’re trying to liven it up. Bear with us.

   So I hope that answered your question, Jonathan, the reality is complicated, but, in the end, we could just be fucking with you.

2. Impeachment doesn’t work when one side isn’t taking it seriously. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you are on (and I have to guess I don’t have too many Trump readers, but I’m sure there are some conservatives out there), the impeachment proceedings should be seen for the historic proceedings they are. Watching the Republicans act like clowns in the hearings is depressing and should embarrass their voters. Disagree, make an argument, look for facts that back your boy, but don’t grandstand and act like babies, you’re elected representatives! Why wouldn’t your voters want you to be adults? Honestly, it just sucks.

3. The FC Arizona badge is trash. I know we get snobby in the Protagonist offices about new badges if we think they suck, but the new FC Arizona attempt is one of the worst I’ve ever seen. As I joked on twitter, it’s literally the create-a-club generic crest you used to see in FIFA ten years ago. I don’t understand who signed off on it, did they leave their glasses at home? Have they never seen a good soccer club crest? Was it designed by one of their children? Actually, there’s no way that’s true, kids are more creative than this.

4. Can I add my name to the “send celebrities kits” for exposure list? Mentioned this last week and suddenly we’ve got Men in Blazers rocking Chatta and Roots kits. I’ll say it again, it’s a good approach to marketing and is so much cheaper than spending money on actual ads, which are expensive to design, produce, and then get into the public airwaves. Instead, Rog throws on a kit and waves at the screen and voila! people who wouldn’t normally be exposed to NISA know who you are and maybe drop a buck or two on your merch. Certainly seemed to work for Chatta, who mentioned they were busy shipping kits after the on-air showing. Nothing to complain about on this one, other than I want swag for recommendations. Good job, peeps!

5. Music with words is impossible to write to. Even if my kid is watching some Disney movie and Moana is singing about loving the ocean or something, that crap feeds directly into my brain and makes putting a sentence into the site nearly impossible. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but I’ve always been that way. Even in college I couldn’t write for shit if someone was singing words. I fight it with several types of music. Classical - the original music without words. Foreign music - mostly Sigur Ros, who sing in Icelandic for the majority of their albums. Ambient Rock Music - Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, This will Destroy You. No words or words I can’t understand, that’s the rule.

   Anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?

6. Toddler cartoons are nonsensical. I’m not saying that every bit of the show has to make 100% sense, but all universes have to have rules to exist, even if they exist for the entertainment of children. Here’s my prime example, my pet peeve, which thankfully my daughter has outgrown:

   Blaze and the Monster Machines

   If you’ve never seen or heard of the show, thank your lucky stars, it’s hot trash. Blaze is a monster truck who lives in a world populated by other monster trucks. Every living creature is a monster truck, including animals, except for two humans - Blaze’s driver and a mechanic. How this world has come to exist, we have no answers. Was there an apocalypse which removed all human beings? Did the monster trucks become sentient and murder all the humans but two remaining tokens? Is it all a dream? We don’t know.

   But AJ, Blaze’s driver, drives Blaze, even though Blaze is perfectly capable of driving himself. All the other trucks operate themselves, so why is AJ driving Blaze? There’s no answer provided. The mechanic makes sense (as she has a useful role in this monster truck based reality), but is she the mechanic for every living monster truck? Literally millions of monster trucks lined up for days to get tuned up? It just doesn't make logical sense.

   I’ll accept your monster truck world, but eliminate the two humans and move on. It’s the only right thing to do, Blaze.

   One last Blaze comment. When Blaze is getting ready to do a big jump or surge to win a race he yells “Let’s Blaze!” Sure, Blaze, let’s all blaze, then your show will make sense.

7. US Soccer is hemorrhaging money and talent. We all remember the 100 million surplus that was being shouted about a couple years ago. Turns out we’ve got a lot less of that money now, especially when 9 million was spent defending the federation in law suits, several of which were brought by players underserved by the federation. To make the situation even worse, youth coaches are bolting and the CEO position remains unfilled. It’s bad enough even non-sports outlets are writing about it. I don’t know how it changes, but it feels like the whole ship is being run by idiots and assholes, all convinced they know better than everyone else. That’s not a recipe for change, and world cup qualifiers are just around the corner for the USMNT. Thankfully the women have less to worry about because they’re so ridiculously good. But the real disaster brewing is in the youth ranks. We could lose a generation of talent thanks to the god-awful leadership of the federation and that is not quickly fixed. This whole thing depresses the hell out of me.

8. UPSL’s shoe sponsor deal is a mismatch. You run a league who promotes the idea of stripped down operations, quick and easy, if you don’t want to invest a fortune you don’t have to. In fact, the UPSL has crowed about their lower cost of club operation and league fees. So why the hell do you add “Unozero as the Official Premier Boot Provider of the UPSL” when they sell two types of soccer cleat (white or black) at a base price in the range of $250? Granted they are premium hand-made leather cleats, but how does that fit into the brand identity of the league? To be fair, the league announcement did mention a club discount, but I’m doubtful that discount is 75% off. Wouldn’t the UPSL have been smarter to find a shoe manufacturer who specializes in cheap and affordable cleats, rather than an expensive, hand-crafted shoe?

9. The USL is just as shitty as MLS, but with different bad guys. Or that’s the impression I got from that SocTakes article that dropped yesterday. Nipun Chopra got access to a bunch of USL financials and it shows a large portion of the revenue is being siphoned off by NuRock (terrible name, Jesus) which owns the USL brand. Interestingly, almost all of that revenue is coming from franchise and expansion fees. So basically USL is nothing more than MLS 2.0 in its approach to building its financial holdings. Is anyone making money in professional soccer that isn’t just fueled by a ponzi scheme? Investors keep dropping cash to enter these leagues, but they aren’t getting any money back until the next investor buys in. It’s just another MLM. On that note, watch John Oliver talking about other MLMs, so good.

10. Holiday Shopping is the worst. I hope you’ve got your holiday shopping done already because at this point, the stores are shit shows. Last weekend, I went into a TJ Maxx (why is there two X’s on that name?) and the line was triple stacked and that was even with seven registers working! Shoot me in the face. I can’t stand Bezos and company, but I’d be ordering online if the only other option was shopping at a big box(x) retailer. As of today, you’ve got two weeks till Christmas. If you don’t celebrate, congratulations, good decision. And if you made a pact with your wife to not buy gifts this year, buy her something unless you’re 1,000% sure she’s all in. You don’t want to be the guy who didn’t get her a gift when everyone starts opening presents. Nuff Said.

If you want in on the next round of OMYAS gripes, email the old man himself at oldpeopleoftheworldunite@gmail.com

Ten UWS Players Receive All-America Honors

With the Women’s College Cup last weekend, the United Soccer Coaches announced their Division I Women’s All-America Teams. On the list were 10 UWS players, including three time-selections Catarina Macario and Deyna Castellanos. According to a UWS press release, “this year's All-Americans will be acknowledged at the USC All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Baltimore Convention Center in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.”

With a grand total of fifty-one players receiving All-America honors, the UWS features a full fifth of the top talent in Division I women’s soccer. Without a doubt the league is showing itself as a place for young women to develop their talent. The full list of UWS players who earned All-America honors is below.

Tara McKeown (credit Katie Chin)

2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-America First Team

D Stasia Mallin (University of Memphis - Indiana Union)

M Catarina Macario** (Stanford University - LA Galaxy OC)

F Tara McKeown (University of Southern California - Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-America Second Team

D Sydney Cummings (Brown University - New Jersey Copa FC)

M Deyna Castellanos** (Florida State University - Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

M Roma McLaughlin (Central Connecticut State University - New England Mutiny)

2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-America Third Team

M Samantha Dewey (Xavier University - Indiana Union)

M Taylor Kornieck* (University of Colorado - LA Galaxy OC)

M Atlanta Primus (California State University Fullerton - LA Galaxy OC)

F Evdokia Popadinova* (Florida Gulf Coast University - Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

* – denotes previous selection

The ADASL: The Perrin Cup and Soccer in the South

The Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (ADASL) was founded in 1967, the same year and in conjunction with the founding of the professional soccer club Atlanta Chiefs. The hope was that a local soccer league would grow interest in the sport in the Atlanta area. Though the Chiefs didn’t last past the early 80s, the ADASL has continued to thrive as a strong local amateur league, now the oldest pro/rel league in the American South. Currently the home of 26 clubs, with 10 in Division 1 and 16 in Division 2, the league is stronger than ever. And with the massive success of Atlanta United in MLS, interest is peaking in the sport in Atlanta.

Last year’s Perrin Cup Champion, Revily FC

Like many local leagues, the ADASL holds a yearly cup, an intra-league competition, which pits all the clubs of the two divisions against each other. About to begin round two of this year’s competition this weekend, The Perrin Cup, is a source of pride for the league and, for the winning clubs, an automatic qualifier for the USASA Regionals in Georgia. Each year, all the clubs competing are seeded based on last year’s finishes in the Perrin Cup and then the newcomers are assigned based on positioning according to the league. The second round of matches will kick off this weekend (December 8th) at Georgia Soccer Park in Atlanta.

According to the ADASL website, the Perrin Cup “is named after Chris Perrin, a former player, manager and officer of the League who died of cancer in the late 80's.” By honoring a former player, the Cup has a connection to every player that takes the field during the competition. Mike Hogan, ADASL Administrator, expanded on the history of the Cup and how it’s changed. “It’s been held each year since the 91-92 season as the Perrin Cup.Prior to then there was a League Cup with a double elimination format during the season from the very late 60s thru mid 70s, that, as the league increased numbers of teams and divisions, became separate post season divisional cups into the early 80s when participation declined until they were abandoned.”

While the American South is seen as football country, the reality is that there are thriving centers of local soccer all over the map. Atlanta’s local league which touts itself as “the oldest amateur soccer league in the Southeast” features multiple levels of the Georgia Revolution farm system, a woman coaching in a men’s league (Paige Livesey with MOBA Fury FC), and a long list of players both former and current who have played professionally elsewhere. The success and strength of the league is at a high point and provides a high level of competition for developing talent.

The second round of the Perrin Cup kicks off on Sunday (8th). For more information on scheduling and location, hit up the league site.

- Dan Vaughn