Ryan's Weekend Recap

UPSL Action

Las Vegas Showcase

Heartland Super Cup

UPSL ACTION

FC Harrington 4 - 3 Real Irving CD

The weight of humidity that hung in the air on Friday night in Mansfield, Texas may have lulled the gathered fans into assuming that they were in for a sluggish match. FC Harrington and Real Irving CD quickly dispatched that notion with a high scoring tilt, kicked off by the visitors from Irving’s opening goal in just the second minute. Given a free kick along the left boundary roughly ten yards back of the midfield line, Real Irving drove a deep cross toward the center of the field, where the forward was just able to reach out a toe in a leaping effort for a magical touch that lifted the ball over the Harrington keeper into the top left corner of the goal. FC Harrington battled back, earning a chance with a penalty in the 20th minute, which league player of the week candidate Papa Ndoye deftly put away for the early equalizer. Real Irving would take the lead again in the 28th minute when a well-timed through pass was deflected by the outstretched foot of a Harrington defender, but fell fortuitously to the Irving forward, now 1 v1 with the Harrington goalkeeper. The forward coolly dribbled around the keeper’s diving effort before slotting home the score. A Real Irving cross from the right side of the attack to an unmarked teammate providing a strong header from directly in front of the net in the 35th minute extended the Real Irving lead to 3-1 at the half.The hosts returned for the second half clearly intent on dictating the pace of the match and controlling possession, displaying a more disciplined approach to their attacking play and a willingness to better spread the opposition across the pitch with patient movement of the ball both forward, and now increasingly backward and lateral, passing. The patience and discipline paid off for FC Harrington in the 66th minute when they dispossessed Real Irving along the left boundary and quickly flipped the field of play with a through ball down the line and a cross to Ndoye in center against spread-thin defense. Ndoye got a step on the one marked defender and drove a right-footed shot across his body and into the bottom left corner of the goal for his, and Harrington’s, second score of the night. Three minutes later, Real Irving would drop to ten men on a red card, and FC Harrington seized upon the numbers advantage with increased pressure, sensing the opportunity to equalize. They’d find it, in the 88th minute, again at the penalty spot, with Real Irving keeper guessing correctly on the placement of Ndoye’s attempt, but the FC Harrington forward’s shot was too quick for the keeper to reach in time and the score was now knotted at 3 goals apiece.

Given seven minutes of extra time, FC Harrington needed just two of those minutes to earn a corner, where Josh Irwin would beat his defender to meet the service from Francisco Vidal and drive an emphatic header home for the hosts’ fourth goal and their first lead of the night. The lead would hold for the final five minutes, and the newly double-promoted (from D3 to D2 after the Fall 2019 season, then to D1 due to Covid-19 attrition) FC Harrington claimed both the win and, for now, the top spot in UPSL’s Central Conference - North, Division One.

Leg AZ Soccer International 1 - 1 Orlando Rovers

LAZSI couldn’t pull away from a game Rovers side in Orlando in their season opener, leaving the sides splitting points and huddled together near the bottom of the pack in the Southeast Conference - Florida Central East, Division One standings.

OFC Barca 7 - 1 Royal Palms SC

It continues to be a rough welcome to the league for the newcomers from Palm Coast as Royal Palms SC couldn’t find any answers defensively for OFC Barca’s player of the week nominee Victor Rojas’ four goals, falling in a very lopsided loss and claiming sole possession of the bottom of the conference standings.

Clay County SC 2 - 1 Macca Ballers FC

The North Florida outlier this season in a Central Florida dominated conference, Jacksonville-suburb-based Clay County SC came away with three points in the season opener between them and Macca Ballers FC.

Diaspora United CC 3 - 3 Celta Gunners

Diaspora United avoided opening their first season in the league with three straight losses by surviving a high scoring competition from Celta Gunners to claim a draw. The Gunners now have two ties on the season and will have to wait til next week to see if they can get a conference victory.

Sporting Orlando 4 - 2 FK Orlando

Player of the Week award winner Vander Lee paced his Sporting Orlando side Saturday evening, scoring three of his club’s four goals. Sporting would each and every one of those scores, as the Central Florida league stalwarts found expansion club FK Orlando a worthy opponent in a high scoring match.

Athletic Houston FC 4 - 0 Texas Hawks

Athletic Houston played spoiler in the Texas Hawks’ season opener, gifting their intra-city rival with a -4 goal differential a place at the bottom of the standings after a dominant display at Campbell Road Sports Park.

Barcelona School of Excellence 2 - 6 Houston FC

Barcelona School of Excellence played Athletic Houston to a confidence-building draw the previous week, but they’ll be searching for that confidence well again this week after hosting Houston FC at the Farm League Field. The visitors, lead by player of the week nominee Tim Ugo’s two goals and an assist, made quick work of the hosts to collect another three points and maintain a 2-point lead in the standings on Athletic Houston.

East Valley FC 4 - 2 FC Arizona U23

Newly re-named East Valley FC (formerly MSC United) took all three points in  the opening match of the hastily reconfigured (due to Covid-19) Southwest Conference season in 4-2 victory over newly re-branded FC Arizona’s younger lineup.

Arctic Rush 4 - 0 MatSu United FC

If Arctic Rush was shaking off any ill-effects from their season opening loss to Alaska Timbers the previous week, they seemingly needed only the opening few seconds to do so in soundly defeating MatSu United FC (formerly Alaska City FC) by four goals sending a clear message that they’ll remain in the hunt for a second consecutive conference title.

The Mix Sports Club 2 - 3 Florida Tropics 2

While their first team takes a hiatus in 2020, the Florida Tropics’ 2 -side appears to have borrowed the 2019 Spring UPSL National Champions’ penchant for never losing. The Lakeland/Auburndale side collected another three points in a competitive match versus expansion side The Mix Sports Club, and continue to chase Celta USA for the lead in the Southeast Conference - Florida Central West, Division One standings.

Sportsparadize SA 0 - 2 Celta USA

Another week, another match, another win, another three points and a continued lead in the standings for Celta’s USA side. They’ll face stiffer competition next week when they match up against their Celta Gunners counterpart.

FC Arizona 0 - 3 Olympians FC

Not the greatest of opening weekends for FC Arizona, as their first team followed up their U23 side’s loss to East Valley FC with a defeat of their own, getting throttled by as of yet unannounced expansion side Olympians FC.

Crush FC 3 - 1 Panther United FC

Crush FC continue to impress in their league debut in the Central Conference - South’s Division Two. With their 3-1 victory over Panther United, the Crush now sit alone atop the standings while boasting an undefeated record, 6 points, and a +6 goal differential.

FC Sharp Keys 2 - 2 Junior FC

Newly promoted side FC Sharp Keys of Fort Worth opened their inaugural division two campaign with a 2-2 draw versus Dallas-based Junior FC.

La Maquina 1 - 4 Almeyda FC 2 

Almeyda’s second team recovered nicely from their season opener loss last week, throttling La Maquina en route to a commanding 4-1 victory. A victory this weekend against struggling APTX side would allow Almeyda within striking distance of contention for the conference title alongside Houston FC 2 and Crush FC.

LAS VEGAS SHOWCASE

With the NPSL and USL League 2 cancelling their 2020 seasons altogether due to Covid-19, and UPSL approaching start or resumption of play on a club by club, division by division, conference by conference, many teams across the three national leagues that still wish to play on the pitch have been left to adjust creatively. Three teams, the NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends, the USL League 2’s Colorado Rush, and the UPSL’s Sporting Arizona FC, played a weekend showcase hosted by the Legends in Las Vegas this past weekend:

Game One: Las Vegas Legends 2 - 2 Colorado Rush

A tale of two halves in the opening match, with the first ending scoreless between the sides. Early in the second, the hosts, having already played a few matches earlier in the year in the NPSL’s Southwest Conference before the season’s cancellation, opened a 2-0 lead by the 66th minute. But Colorado Rush would answer with a goal of their own in the 75th minute then secure the equalizer in the 86th.

Game Two: Colorado Rush 3 - 0 Sporting Arizona FC

Much like Game One, the two sides would use the first half to feel out their unfamiliar, inter-league, competition, then attempt to open up the attack in the second half once they’d gained a better feel for the opposition. For Sporting Arizona FC, the chances wouldn’t quite fall their way, while Colorado Rush scored in rapid succession in the 63rd and 66th minutes, then tucked in an insurance goal in the 87th for the victory.

Game Three: Las Vegas Legends 1 - 2 Sporting Arizona FC

Flipping the script on the previous days of competition, the goals came early in the final match of the weekend. Las Vegas Legends converted a penalty chance in the 14th minute for the initial lead, but Sporting Arizona FC would counter with a penalty conversion of their own in the 22nd. Then, in the 31st minute, Sporting’s Kamani Stewart gathered a cleared corner attempt outside the penalty area, dribbled left across three advancing defenders, cut inside between two of them and around the third and delivered a strike from a couple yards still beyond the penalty box for an impressive score and the Sporting Arizona lead.The rest of the first half, and the entirety of the second, would play out as a scoreless slugfest with few real chances generated by either side, and the visitors from Mesa, Arizona would walk away with the victory. Finish: 

1. Colorado Rush (1-1-0, 5 GF, 2 GA, 4 Pts)

2. Sporting Arizona FC (1-0-1, 2 GF, 3 GA, 3 Pts)

3. Las Vegas Legends (0-1-1, 3 GF, 4 GA, 1 Pt)

HEARTLAND SUPER CUP

Another unique competition taking place to fill the void left by the cancellation of national, regional and even metropolitan league seasons across the country is the Heartland Super Cup. Comprising teams based across six states from at least as many leagues, the HSC is taking place over six weeks of play, with sixteen teams competing in four distinct groups, the winners of which will advance to a final four semi-final and final. 

The Kansa City Region kicked off with a match between two of the more notable clubs in the KC metro area, Sunflower State FC and Santa Fe Wanderers. Salvatore Sesti reports:

Sunflower State FC 2 - 1 Santa Fe Wanderers

The first match of the tournament featured the marquee match-up of two strong teams.The Santa Fe Wanderers, an established force in the Kansas City area with a history of success in tournaments and league cups, against Sunflower State FC, the new kids on the block taking the region by storm with win after win against some impressive opponents. 

The game started off disjointed, both teams showing some nervous energy. There were a few bad giveaways on defense that led to early chances on both sides. Santa Fe Wanderers looked crisp in possession but could not get anything going in the final 3rd of the pitch. Sunflower State on the other hand, looked sloppy on the ball to begin with but they showed their quality very soon.

After an extended period of time played in the middle 3rd, there was a change of possession on the wing that led to SSFC getting in behind the Wanderers’ defense, Nick McDonald beat another man and was through on goal when he was taken down from behind in the box. The whistle blew and he took the penalty, coolly slotting it home to the bottom left corner. 

1-0 SSFC

The Wanderers wanted to get back in the game quickly, and pushed up the field after the restart to try and find an equalizer, but there was a giveaway that led to a fast break the other way for SSFC. Nick McDonald once again found himself in front of goal, and this time from open play, made it 2-0 SSFC

After this, SSFC began to take control of the game. They played the ball around without too much stress, despite the Wanderers employing the high press to try and win it back. For the rest of the half it looked simple for them. That is, until the high press paid off and Santa Fe Wanderer Fwd Dominic Harrington picked up the ball in the middle of the park. He was closed down quickly by SSFC but before he could be dispossessed, he ripped a wonder strike from about 35 yards out that surprised Goalkeeper Sam Glass. Call it luck or skill, it was needed for the Wanderers to get back in the game. 2-1.

SSFC’s quickness in transition from defense to attack in the first half had caused Wanderer defenders to make split decisions that led to mistakes. It could have easily been 3 or 4-1 at the break. Santa Fe knew this and came out of halftime firing on all cylinders.

The Wanderers looked dangerous. Their passing started to pull apart Sunflower State and there were a few chances that could have easily tied it up. The best of which was after Santa Fe won a free kick right outside the 18. The shot itself careened into the Sunflower State wall, but the Wanders recovered the ball on the wing and, while the cross was blocked by GK Sam Glass, it led to a chance right at the six. The Wanderer forward tried to elevate the rebound over the GK but instead it skied over the bar. 

After Sunflower State weathered the initial storm, the game entered a lull. You could tell players were not fully match fit.

With about 10 minutes left to go in the game, the Wanderers found a second wind and started to press once again to find an equalizer. This led to a more open game with both sides getting some good opportunities. With a few minutes left there was an incident where there was a foul not called when a Wanderer winger took down a SSFC defender. This led to a confrontation and a stoppage of play by the referee where players were needed to be restrained by teammates. No players were ejected, but the break in play allowed Sunflower State to compose themselves and hold off the Wanderers until the final whistle blew. 

- Written by Salvatore Sesti

Other Kansas City Region Matches:

United Kansas City FC 2 - 0 Fountain City FC

Santa Fe Wanderers 6 - 0 Fountain City FC

Sunflower State FC 7 - 1 United Kansas City FC

Current Kansas City Region Standings:

1. Sunflower State FC, 6 Pts

2. Santa Fe Wanderers, 3 Pts

3. United Kansas City FC, 3 Pts

4. Fountain City FC, 0 Pts

Southeast Region (Played in Springfield, MO & Springdale, AR) Matches:

Springfield Demize Reserves 3 - 0 Arkansas Pumas FC

Barilleros 4 - 3 Arkansas Wolves FC

Springfield Demize Reserves 3 - 1 Barilleros

Arkansas Pumas FC 2 - 0 Arkansas Wolves FC

Current Southeast Region Standings:

1. Springfield Demize Reserves, 6 Pts

2. Barilleros, 3 Pts

3. Arkansas Pumas FC, 3 Pts

4. Arkansas Wolves FC, 0 Pts

Southwest Region (Kicks off on 07/11/20):

Garden City Potrillos 

Atletico Liberal FC

Dodge City Toros

FC Wichita U20

North Region (Kicks off on 07/11/20):

Iowa Raptors FC

Iowa Raptors Reserves

Springfield FC

Omaha Kings FC

With COVID19 Spiking, UWS Cancels Cup

July 9th was supposed to bring the UWS to the forefront of the grassroots soccer landscape, but the pandemic decided otherwise. With cases spiking in Texas (and many other parts of the country), the league has decided to cancel the UWS National Cup.

The Medical Director for the UWS, Dr. Martha Pyron, expressed the league’s concerns in a press release. “Due to the increase in cases in our area and the fact that teams would be flying in, I felt that the risk had increased to a point where we could not ensure the safety of all participants.” Danny Woodfill, owner and GM of FC Austin Elite, offered his own thoughts. “When we first started planning, things looked very promising, but since announcing the cup things haven’t been as rosy. Taking into account Gov. Abbott’s recent announcement and our medical advice from Dr. Martha Pyron, now is not the time to have teams flying in from around the country to Austin. We’ll look at what we can do within our local area and what competition would be appropriate, but this national tournament doesn’t make sense at this time.”

With the Challenge Cup cancelled, there are some friendlies still scheduled in the month of July. If things continue to spiral, those may be in jeopardy as well.

- Dan Vaughn

Tulsa Athletic Making Bold Moves

There’s bold and then there’s Tulsa bold.

Tulsa Athletic announced today that the club would no longer play the National Anthem before matches, and instead play Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” at all home matches. In a press release put out by the club this morning, co-owner Sonny Dalesandro explained their decision. “We developed a culture of inclusion and acceptance at Tulsa Athletic. We live in a country that allows us to freely speak our voice. We utilize this  right as a club to continually try and improve our team and community. We believe ‘This Land Is Your Land’ not only captures a powerful patriotic sentiment, but this it does so in a far more inclusive way. The song speaks to this country being built and shared by every person of every race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. It represents a future Tulsa Athletic is committed to striving for.”

Sonny, flanked by representatives from the club, made the announcement in front of a Woody Guthrie mural, painted on the side of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa. He was wearing the rainbow-striped equality kit the club just released. The kit has a companion goal keeper’s kit, which features a black body and rainbow sleeves. Both are available at the club shop online.

Tulsa Athletic has been a key component to the NPSL’s Heartland conference success and Sonny has been an outspoken leader in the league. These moves are sure to attract attention, as principled approaches generally do. More to come as the story unfolds.

- Dan Vaughn

Ryan’s Weekend Recap

UPSL

In UPSL Division One action, 2020 newcomer Alaska Timbers kicked off The Last Frontier Conference season against 2019 Conference champion Arctic Rush. If there were any nerves for the league rookies, it certainly didn’t show in their on-the-pitch performance.

In the eighth minute, Arctic was dispossessed of the ball after a promising sequence in the attacking half, and the Timbers countered with a through pass through the middle to a just barely onside forward who split the nearest defenders, then calmly slotted away the opening goal of the match in a 1v1 with the Rush goalkeeper. The Timbers would take full advantage of the momentum switch from there on in the first half, seizing on a sloppy clearance by Arctic on a Timbers corner to slip a goal through heavy traffic in the box for their second score. Three minutes later, a near deja ‘vu moment for the Timbers as they crossed a free kick opportunity from the near corner into the box, Rush made the initial touch, but again with a poor clearance, and Timbers struck for their third goal into an all but wide open net.

The second half would see Timbers continue to dominate possession with sustained attacking sequences of play, clearly using their advantage on the scoreboard to work on their hold-up and crossing play while wearing down the flustered Arctic defense chasing the ball. In the 56th minute, the Timbers would slip a through pass into the penalty area, where the forward chipped the keeper for Portland Timbers Alaska affiliate to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Arctic would find some attacking rhythm late, due in large part to the tireless efforts of their forwards and wings chasing plays back deep int the defensive half and countering together down the wide boundaries of the pitch. They were rewarded with a goal to salvage some positives going into their next match, while the Timbers, for now, are certainly sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat for the conference title in 2020.

Alaska Timbers 4, Arctic Rush 1

Up Next:

Arctic Rush @ MatSu Utd FC (Formerly Alaska City FC), Sunday, June 28th

Alaska Timbers vs MatSu United FC, Sunday, July 12th

Other UPSL Action

Division One:

Division Two:

UWS League 2

The inaugural season of United Women’s Soccer’s League 2 kicked off in Central Florida with Unity FC and Orlando FC Royals.

Unity FC opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a low cross from just outside the penalty area being toe’d into the bottom corner of the goal in a baseball-like sliding effort from the center forward. The Royals and Unity would then trade a flurry of chances and near-goals through the next twenty minutes in an even match, until Unity had free kick in the 32nd. The Unity FC kicker drilled a shot through the Royals’ defense and buried it outside the goalkeeper’s reach just inside the left post. The Royals countered with a gifted 1v1 chance, but the Unity keeper stood on her head and left the Royal without a score at the end of the half.

The second half saw the Royals step up their attacking play, but remained goalless despite a number of early chances. The Royals received a penalty kick opportunity in the 48th, but they failed to convert, and Unity FC scored again on the counter in the 53rd, all but putting the match out of reach at 3-0. The Royals would continue to dial up the attacking pressure, registering another 6 scoring chances before finally scoring with a strike launched from 35-40 yards out that will probably be a favorite for UWS goal of the year.

The Royals would come away empty on another 6 scoring chances, while Unity would again counter in the 84th minute with a well timed through pass and 1v1 opportunity for their 5th goal of the match. After 90 minutes, despite having a 16-11 advantage in shots taken, the Royals would fall to Unity FC by three goals.

Unity FC 4

Orlando FC Royals 1

Up Next: Unity FC vs SportsParadize SA, Saturday, June 27th

Other Matches: Gulf Coast Premier League newcomers Crescent City FC played the NPSL’s Port City FC to a 0-0 draw Saturday evening in an inter-league friendly match.

Working for the Weekend

My Best Ten and Me: Featuring David Falk of GoalWa and Snohomish County FC Steelheads

This week, for My Best Ten & Me, we reached out to the soccer-everything man for the great state of Washington, Mr. David Falk. From founding websites and leagues to successful and entertaining clubs, David continues to engage in the soccer community and bring them all together. We gave him the same old rules…

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

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

He followed them for the most part.

The technical side of soccer is not why I watch and love the sport. I am more about the waves of attack, the luck of the bounce, the vision and the artistry, the roar and silence, the emotional ebbs. So, picking a formation is pretty much guess work for me. But I did enjoy watching my Snohomish County FC Steelheads win the Western Washington Premier League title in 2019 using a 3-5-2, as employed by Head Coach Dagi Kesim. His Use of five midfielders and three reliable defenders resulted in a .60 goals-against average that year.

Washington is a great soccer state. Not just good, but great. The game has deep and lasting roots here at all levels from youth to professional. Making a Best Ten & Me means something to me when this twist is added: my 10 were all born here. Full disclosure: I was born in Montebello, California in 1962.

(GK) Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller was born in Olympia - Washington’s capital city, in 1969. Many consider him the greatest footballer born here. He played for the US Nats, overseas, and for the Seattle Sounders upon their joining MLS. You might have heard of him.

(CB) Danny Vaughn
Danny was born in Gig Harbor in 1956. I thought I was going with Jeff Stock here, but alas the guy we loved as a local NASL Sounder was actually born in Baltimore. Danny is in the Tacoma Sports Hall of Fame, and certainly saw interesting times with the Detroit Express, Memphis Rogues, Jacksonville Tea Men and Calgary Boomers in the old NASL.

(CB) Jeff Durgan
Jeff was born in Tacoma in 1961. He was named 1980 NASL Rookie of the Year in his debut season with the New York Cosmos. Certainly, one of the best players our state has ever produced and perhaps its best defender. Durgan was named 46th of the top 50 athletes of the 20th century from Washington State by Sports Illustrated.

(CB) James Dunn
James was born in Olympia in 1971 along with his twin brother Jason. The solid defender won three championships with Seattle clubs. The Sounders won the A-League in 1995 and 1996, then the Seattle Seadogs won the CISL (indoor) in 1997. Cool head, hard worker, smart and gritty player

(LB / LWB) Jimmy McAlister
Born in Seattle in 1954, “Jimmy Mac” was a breakthrough player for the NASL Sounders; winning Rooking of the Year honors for the league in 1977. With rolled down socks hugging his ankles, Jimmy dashed up and down the sideline showing a presences on the ball that was unusual for American players of those times.

(CM) Jason Farrell
Jason was born in Seattle in 1970. The hardworking mid was with the A-League Sounders as they won back-to-back championships. After his time in MLS, he returned to the USL Sounders. His field vision made him great. He could finish goals like a forward and find teammates in tight spaces.

*(CM) David Falk
Really? The rules of Ten & Me state that I have to be on this list. You should search names like Nate Daligcon, Chris Henderson, Leighton O’Brien and Raphael Cox for actual choices, among others!

(CM) Joey Gjertsen
Joey was born in Tacoma in 1982. This guy was smooth on the ball and talk about making the most of what you’ve got - he played at Tacoma Community College and The Evergreen State College, eventually making his mark in Major League Soccer.

(RB / RWB) DeAndre Yedlin
DeAndre was born in Seattle in 1993. He was special even as I saw him compete in the PDL back in the day. He has made the most of his talent with hard work and an unwavering belief in himself. Recent talk that he’ll come back to the Sounders one day was welcomed by Seattle supporters.

(F) Jordan Morris
Jordan Morris was born in Seattle in 1994. He’s remained local even as he ascends the ranks of USMNT goal scorers. Knocked by some for not going overseas, Morris has helped his childhood club win two MLS Cups.

(F) Chance Fry
No one could convert like chance Fry. Born in Bellevue in 1964, the lanky striker could head with the best of them and had great technique with his feet. Chance played for the Seattle Sounders of the NASL in their final year and dominated with the A-League Sounders in the 1990’s, as that club won their two titles.

Expansion Targets: Imagining the NISA Map (emphasis on IMAGINING)

Hey there – fellow Knight John back for another speculative NISA piece. Keep in mind that it’s all in good fun.  Hope you enjoy.

If you are as staunch a follower of NISA expansion as Dan and I – the Knights Who Say NISA – then you may have noticed that all of the new teams coming on board seem to be located on the eastern half of the country. What about locations west of the Mississippi? Sure, there are four clubs huddled – sorry, clustered – in California, but nothing between them and Detroit City. Well, except the big NISA logo that they insist on planting smack dab in the middle of the map of the United States on the league’s website. (Hmmm…maybe that’s the problem…)

Well, Dan and I decided that something needed to be done. We agreed to sit down and put together some ideas of markets where NISA should consider when looking to add clubs. And when Dan got up to take a potty break, I went to work. (How that chair got lodged in between the floor and the door handle I’ll never know.)

Now if we’re playing by NISA’s ‘rules’ we have to cluster clubs together, not just throw teams hither and yon. Heartily accepting the challenge, here’s where I think the league should go when going west:

Market #1: Chicago

Wait just a minute – why would you want to have new third division clubs in a market where the Chicago Fire have done such a great job in capturing the region’s soccer fans?

Yeah, exactly. 

As the Fire have smoldered away, Chicago is beyond ready for more professional clubs. Some would argue that the city could use one professional soccer club right now, but that would be too cruel. Sort of. Anyway, since NISA is now home of the New York Cosmos, I think it would be nice to bring back another soccer team name from the past. No, not the Sting. Further back. While Fall River Marksmen and Bethlehem Steel were creating history nearly a century ago, Chicago Sparta ABA was becoming a powerhouse in the Midwest with a stadium of their own. Won championships. Hosted international exhibitions. And as far as I can tell, the moniker is not currently being used. So why not draw on some real soccer history in the region and bring back Chicago Sparta?

For our instant rival to Sparta, we’re going to take a musical journey. In the late 1960s a group of seven musical lads from Chicago sought out their fame and fortune. By 1977, the band Chicago had become a hit-making machine. The album released that year would feature a map of the city on the cover. And so, with apologies to the club currently playing in Indiana, I give you the name of that album and your new club: Chicago XI. Imagine a supporters group named after guitarist Terry Kath. A horn section playing along with the chanting fans. Baby, what a big surprise that would be.  

Market #2: Denver

Oh - surely you’re not going to go up against the mighty Rapids now, too.

Oh surely we are.

If there is an MLS club that has needed a good ol’ relegatin’, it’s the Colorado Rapids. The question is: if you could drop the Rapids into the USL, would the investor-operator even notice? But I digress. Another club name that needs to be brought back is the Colorado Foxes. For you young people out there, there was a hip and happening soccer league back in the 1990s called the APSL, the American Professional Soccer League. And the Foxes were league winners for two years. A fella by the name of Marcelo Balboa played on the club. Eventually the league called itself the A-League, merged with the USISL (the USL as we know them now), and the Foxes would fade away. Bring back the Foxes, and maybe even partner up with Leicester City. Foxy!   

And for the Foxes’ clusterbuddy, let’s have a bit of fun and get the munchies along the way. I can’t think of a better club name that embraces the region (and is pun-riffic) than Four & Twenty Blackbirds. Oh c’mon, just picture a crest that has a blackbird with a doobie resting in its beak? How would you not want this? Listen, I understand that there could be issues with having a club name that, well, more than hints at drug use, but if you don’t think the day that kit is released it isn’t flying off the shelves…

Market #3: Montana

OK, now you’re just being silly.

Sure, there may be bigger markets to plant a flag. OK – there may be MANY other markets that are bigger. But sometimes you have to zig when others say zag. Maybe the lack of professional soccer clubs in this region could spark an interest. Did anyone expect New Mexico United to draw over 10,000 a game in its inaugural season last year? 

So let’s go clustering in Big Sky Country. I’m going to eschew Billings, Great Falls, Missoula and Bozeman for now. No disrespect to these fine communities, but I think I’ve got the perfect pairing. Say hello to your newest soccer rivalry: Real Butte and Helena Handbasket FC.

OK – perhaps I am being a little silly.

Welp, I think Dan is about to break through the door, so I should end it here. We’ll be watching and waiting for the next clubs to join the NISA fraternity with curiosity.

UWS Prepares for Center Stage

While my opinions about soccer in the pandemic wouldn’t shock anyone that frequents this website, I can’t pretend I’m not a tiny bit excited for the UWS to be center stage. The league announced late last week that a National Cup would be help in Round Rock, Texas, July 9-17. As of the time of this article, the confirmed total of 7 teams will be participating, with 3 clubs from outside the state joining 4 Texas clubs. The 7 clubs are: Bat Country FC, CTX Hornets, Dallas International, FC Austin Elite, Lancaster Inferno, Santa Clarita Blue Heat, and Worcester Smiles.

I approached Danny Woodfill, GM of FC Austin Elite, about his plans for the Cup his team will be hosting. First off, why Austin? “Round Rock and Williamson County were much more lightly affected by the COVID Pandemic and as we considered playing this Summer, we thought we’d be able to and there probably teams across the country in lightly affected areas that might want to play. We have the facilities and more favorable conditions, so I thought we had to do something.”

The players will be dormed at Concordia University Texas which has a newer campus that is currently closed to outsiders, just the kind of environment needed to sequester and protect the health of the players involved. And the chance of sickness is a real thing, but Woodfill highlighted the UWS’ focus on the safety of every player. “You can never fully insure the safety of players, soccer is a game of risks; however, we have worked very hard to minimize risk. We’ve worked with our medical director, Dr. Pyron and her Medicine in Motion staff to make sure that we put in strong standards and we reduce risks. We will sequester travelling teams in dorms so they minimize their exposure to regular travellers. Additionally the city of Round Rock is fully committed to helping maximize safety and minimize risk, so we feel we can do this safely.”

The league’s press statement outlined the details of the competition: “a 9-day tournament format of three games, semifinals, and final.  The tournament will be held without fans, and games will be live-streamed.” Woodfill mentioned that his goal is for the live-stream to be HD. “It’s expensive, but we want as many people to watch as possible.” The league is currently looking for sponsors to cover the cost of streaming.

Registration for the tournament is open for all teams (UWS or otherwise) until Friday. Until that deadline is reached, the UWS can’t finalize lineups, format or matches. So we’re expecting next week to bring more details on the tournament.

- Dan Vaughn

Soccer in the Age of COVID - an Editorial

Last week, UWS announced the 2020 National Cup, a small format (currently 7 clubs) tournament to be held in Round Rock, TX (story to come later this week). Several weeks ago, UPSL announced that the 2020 Spring season would kick off in a limited number of states across the country. There will be no national playoffs, but locally, there will be matches. And while many in the soccer community are celebrating this return to soccer, I’m left wondering if this is the right decision.

The pandemic has really derailed life across the world. For months now, people have been forced to adjust their lives in hopes of flattening the curve. Facial protections, social distancing, and limited travel have all become a part of the equation which governs our daily lives. With schools and daycares now closed, kids are kept home to stay safe. Unemployment has surged nationally, while many have lost jobs, and others have had hours severely slashed. In most circumstances, those that are continuing to work have to take their lives into their own hands, particularly if they are older or immunocompromised. And ALL sports were cancelled for a time.

But life finds a way.

People are beginning to go out, some with care, while others seem to throw caution to the wind. Stores are packed in parts of the country, while restaurants seem to have customers on every corner. Beaches are crowded with people. Protests for reopening seem to have had some effect as more and more states are trying to take the economy back online.

In soccer, the Bundesliga was back first, then the Premier League is coming back online in a week or so, and soon NWSL and MLS will follow suit in this country. NISA is in talks for a summer tournament, while USL seems to be headed towards playing a limited schedule with some audience (not sure just yet). And while it seems like these leagues have some protocols in place, the further down the chain you go, the less money is available to implement rigid testing and sequestering.

I understand that every person’s reaction to the pandemic and their level of care is based on a host of factors - personal risk, family risk, economic status, geographic location, political affiliation, scientific background, information level - all of those things play a role in how you’ve decided to deal with the pandemic. And while I think I am right, I live in a pluralistic society, we’re in this together and I’m not the king. So, we have to come to a consensus locally, state-wide, and as a nation. We have to decide how we will function.

For me, I am a 41-year-old, type 2 diabetic. I feel a high level of risk due to my own health, but that’s pretty specific to me. My city has seen our numbers rise and our curve has never “flattened” but continued to rise. I am forced to work because I have bills to pay and my company has remained open, and that makes me worry a lot. I see so many people who refuse to wear masks, regardless of the science behind it. Not wearing a mask has become some sort of badge to prove loyalty to political persuasion. The political machinations have also fostered a rising wave of anti-science and anti-media sentiment, which amplifies people’s second guessing. It’s frustrating and makes me feel unsafe. For me, no amount of soccer is worth the risk of death - to me or anyone else. And I am the editor of this tiny section of the internet called Protagonist Soccer.

So, with all that being said, UPSL and UWS are readying to kick off. How should we handle our coverage? My staff is divided. One argued no. One argued yes, but with disclaimers. One has remained silent on the matter so far. But in the end, this is my call.

And that’s why I’m writing this article. Because the baby has to be split some way and this article is that split. We’ll continue to cover soccer, but we will do it with great fear about the health ramifications for those involved. We’ll cover it remotely (as we do most of the time anyway), but we’ll generate articles and reports on the leagues that are playing. I believe in the game and want to see it flourish, so we’ll cover it. This site occupies a particular niche that few else fill - we cover these levels of soccer (to the best of our ability). If we don’t write the articles, who else will?

So, we will.

- Dan Vaughn

A COVID19 Report Card: Grading the Leagues' Response to the Pandemic

With the UWS finally cancelling their season, we’ve finally reached the conclusion of leagues we cover. With that in mind, I’m going to recap how and when each club decided how to handle their season in the time of pandemic and I’ll give them a rating A-F. I used to be a middle school teacher, so I should be able to handle this.

How it Happened: The spring season kicked off, sparking a ton of excitement, with newcomers Detroit City FC, Chattanooga FC, and Michigan Stars bringing a surge of talent to the league. Two weeks into the season, the pandemic was finally ramping up to the point it couldn’t be ignored. On March 12th, the league office announced it would be putting the spring season on hold for 30 days to allow the situation to unfold. After a month and a half, the league officially pulled the plug on April 27th.

The Aftermath: When the league announced the spring cancellation, they immediately announced plans for a summer challenge cup that would involve multiple amateur clubs along with NISA sides. As of now, that is still in the works. NISA also set up an eLeague and began play. The league has also made an announcement about the format and schedule of the fall season, giving fans a lot to look forward to. NISA finances are less clear than many leagues, so how they handled the obvious losses, it’s hard to tell from the outside. We do know some clubs are definitely continuing to honor player contracts and there are some that have not.

Got it almost perfect - regular communication, few leaks, future plans in place to hold fan attention. Only miss, player salaries.

How it Happened: Rumblings of the cancelled season began leaking very soon after talks began. I received multiple contacts from within the league that this was coming, but had to hold until we had concrete information. Unlike the UPSL, which has a fall season to regroup in, the NPSL, mostly due to the collegiate players, has to play in the early summer. On March 25th, Michael Lewis of Front Row Soccer put out a story claiming the league was cancelling the 2020 season. Soon after, we received confirmation from sources in the league and ran the story as well. The plan had been for the league to announce the cancellation the next day. Leaks happen.

An internal email revealed the league was relying on the decision from USASA, which recommended cancelling any group through April 30th. The league decided it was best to cancel the season.

The Aftermath: While the decision to cancel the season was probably the right one, the league was prepared an eLeague rollout soon after. That helped take a tiny bit of the heat off the league in the social media sector, but there were some issues that emerged, regardless.

In a move that at least one other league would mirror, the NPSL decided to keep the entirety of the league fee, while only supplying a partial credit for 2021. The fee of $5,500 was reduced to a $2,000 credit. I can tell you, clubs are NOT happy about this move. Maybe it’s a reality is grassroots soccer, but it felt really unfair to clubs operating on a shoestring budget.

And aside from that decision, everything the league did leaked before it was officially announced. This is good from a media perspective, but not good if you’re a league trying to crisis manage.

Not Good, Bob - kept their league fees, leaked like a sieve, pissed off their fans and clubs.

WPSL

How it Happened: On March 20th, the WPSL announced they would be postponing the start of the league by a month, moving the season kickoff from May 9th to May 29th. The press release contained a word of caution from Sean Jones, “If the situation doesn’t seem to be improving by the end of April and our top medical experts are recommending avoiding outdoor activities, then the WPSL will comply and not compete in 2020. We have informed our teams that we will provide them 30 days advanced notice if the cancelation does take place.” That would prove to be the case, so on April 30th, the league announced the cancellation of the season.

The Aftermath: Contained in the press release cancelling the season was a precursor announcement of a potential, one-off, fall season. This would be challenging, with the large amount of college players that participate in the league, but it certainly kept up hopes that amatuer women’s soccer would be seen in 2020. However, much like the NPSL, the league decided to keep the now cancelled 2020 season fees, $3,500 per club, but offering only $1,000 credit for 2021 (or the potential fall league). Unlike the NPSL, Sean Jones got ahead of this story and gave the logic and reasoning behind the decision, which staunched the bleeding a bit.

Better, but not perfect - kept in front of the story, prepped a fan pleaser, did damage control. All in all, a mixed bag.

How it Happened: The UWS was great at keeping their clubs updated on the situation. Kudos on that. The league ran the clock out on this one, hoping to find a way to fit in a season. On March 12th, the league continued to plan on a season. On the 20th, the announced that the schedule would be adjusted. On April 4th, the league announced they still intended to play a 2020 season. However, on June 9th, the season was called and the league announced the regular 2020 season wasn’t going to happen. They just announced (June 12th) the UWS National Cup. As of today, seven teams are participating and the tournament will be hosted in Texas by FC Austin Elite.

The Aftermath: The big benefit of waiting until the last possible moment to cancel the season was that the UWS had learned from the missteps made by the other national amateur leagues. Every league that had given severely limited credit had been raked over the coals on social media. UWS, in a move their own press release called “bucking the trend,” the league announced they would be giving their clubs “approximately 80% credit towards next season’s fees.” And don’t think that last line of the press release isn’t an invite to other amatuer woso clubs “United Women’s Soccer looks forward to returning even stronger in 2021 with a full season of high level competition.”

I have two major complaints. One is that the league could have shown more leadership in cancelling the season earlier. Felt like it dragged out about two weeks longer than it should have. The other complaint is the inherent risks that come with playing soccer without the payroll to establish strong safety protocols with rigorous testing.

Close, very close - good communication, learned from other leagues’ mistakes, took care of clubs. Should have called it earlier.

How it Happened: The UPSL has, at times, struggled in moving with agility in public relations. I say this as a guy who emails the league looking for information on the regular. They are polite, but I’m almost always told, “we’re working on that.”

The league announced they would postpone the season on March 25th, using similar logic to the NPSL. The date the UPSL gave was May 2nd, which many scoffed at for being way too early for resuming play. Then an announcement came out on May 15th that league play would resume, in limited scope, on June 20th. Some states won’t allow play at this point, so those clubs won’t be participating. However, league powerhouse states like Florida and Texas, with governors set on reopening the economy, would be up and running. The league did stipulate that “The intention is to run a 10-game regular season ending the weekend of August 22-23 followed by two weekends of play-off competition, the second of those being Regional Finals on the weekend of September 5-7. Once participating divisions and teams are known, the play-off structure and season schedule will be released. This will occur no later than Thursday, June 11.”

The Aftermath: And this is the big gamble that I’ve discussed on at least 4 podcasts at this point. What happens if there’s a team infection scenario? Or if a player potentially dies from this? Or a fan gets sick from attending a match? Unlike the big professional leagues, the UPSL can’t have the same level of safety protocols. It’s a gamble, but will it pay off. That remains to be seen.

We just don’t know yet. Good communication, but with play about to resume, we shall see if the gamble pays off.

My Best Ten and Me: Featuring André P. Ruette, President of Fall River Marksmen

The Fall River Marksmen returned to the land of the living clubs last year, and the president of the team, André P. Ruette, returned my email request to participate with his Best Ten. André set his dream side up in a 3-5-3 and threw himself between the pipes. To get to the rest, he followed these two rules…

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

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

*(GK) André Ruette
Myself. Since you have to be included in the XI, I'm going with the GK position as there's too many options to pick for just one spot on the team.

(CB) Mike Petke
Mike Petke. Being able to watch Mike develop year after year with the Metrostars was a real joy to behold. Loyal, committed & talented, he's the backbone of a club you dream of. His play & aura would of made him a legend in somewhere in Europe, always wished he tried his luck over there.

(CB) Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger An absolute warrior at the CB position and as devoted of a player you could ever ask for. He could of cashed in on his time with Liverpool but his honorable move back to Brondby just goes to show how classy the Danish Viking was. 

(CB) Mark Watson
Mark Watson I've followed the Canadian National Team for a long time and Mark is arguably still the best Canadian defender to ever suit up for the Reds. I was lucky enough to watch him up close for a few of his years with the Battery, just a joy to watch. He's the professional player who just does all the little things right, an absolute mind for the game and deserving of his post playing career success as a coach.

(CDM) Dimitri Loskov
Dimitri Loskov... Lokomotiv Moscow legend more suited for the #10 role but I got to fit him in this 11. As skilled with his feet as his he is with his vision, such a lovely touch and a magician with a dead ball. If you're not familiar with Loskov and love old highlights on YouTube, you're welcome.

(CM) Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp. I idolized him growing up, what a joy to watch and so frustrating to see him battle knee injuries. One of the Spice boys, when he was on the pitch and healthy, he was always difference maker and should of been England's midfielding hero for a long time if it wasn't for his knee's.

(CM) Carlos Valderamma
Carlos Valderamma ... what a treat it was watching Carlos play in the MLS, it was all too easy for him. Not many players on this planet to this day with his skill on the ball, simply amazing how we could see a play develop before it happened along with his ability to place a ball virtually anywhere he wanted. 

(CAM) Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho ... What needs to be said. That smile and those skills, he was on a level that only a handful of players can claim to of achieved.

(RW) Amado Guevara
Amado Guevara .... seeing him weekly as a Metrostar made me fall in love with him. When he was switched on, he was unbeatable and could carry a club on his back...eye for the goal, killer ball, last minute match winning decisions and an edge of an misunderstood genius.

(ST) Andriy Shevchenko
Shevchenko .... Really hard to pick a striker, almost impossible to grab one but I'm going to have to pick Sheva. I fell in love with him in the early 90's when a Spanish exchange student and I used to skip school to watch Champions League matches. I'll never forget seeing him and Rebrov w/Kyiv absolutely dismantling Europe's best backlines. Once he shifted to Milan, he grew into an absolutely stunning player, worthy of his Ballon d'Or and possibly another one or two more.

(LW) David Ginola
David Ginola ... the Frenchman was half artist and half magician. On the wing or in the middle of the park, Ginola was as smooth as silk and just made the game look all too easy. Most know him for his out of this world performances in the EPL but prior to that with PSG, he was lights out and shined brightly against Europe's best in the Champs Lge and Uefa Cup.

A Game of Chance

Sometimes, things happen to fall into place by chance, in unexpected ways. Ways that forces us to rethink our loyalties and commitments. Ways that make us think about who we are and our role in our society. Sometimes, it’s just a game of chance that shakes up the world.

The Ties that Bind

The Ft. Worth Vaqueros have always utilized a unique approach to selecting their kit sponsor, according to club owner Michael Hitchcock. “The fans named the team, designed and selected the logo, select our jersey every year and we carry that philosophy to our sponsorship strategy.  Since 2014, every Vaqueros sponsor is entered into a Jersey Sponsorship Lottery where regardless of the size of the company, they have a chance to win our coveted jersey sponsorship for FREE.  So instead of selling it to the highest bidder, we let the Soccer Gods decide who will be our sponsor for that year.  Last night, we hosted our 7th Annual Jersey Sponsorship Lottery albeit first Virtual Jersey Sponsorship Lottery and Fort Worth Police Officers Association was selected as our 2020 Jersey Sponsor.”

The Fort Worth Police Officers Association has had a long standing relationship with the club, going back to day one. And over the years, the FWPOA has expanded their involvement with the club. 2 years ago, the Vaqueros launched a free Youth Academy for those kids who couldn’t afford to participate in youth leagues that were pay to play. The FWPOA stepped up to be a sponsor. And that wasn’t the end of their connection with the club, according to Hitchcock, “over the last 6 years, FWPOA has brought hundreds of Fort Worth kids and their families out to Vaqueros home games and even sponsored our Kids Zone on game days.  We host an annual Guns & Hoses (Police vs Fire) soccer match as part of a Doubleheader with a Vaqueros game.”

But, of course, we live in complicated times. After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, massive protests have sprung up across the country. Those protests have outspoken in their opinions of the police, police brutality, and the relationship between citizens of color and the police. Unlike past moments of unrest, protests have continued over two weeks, with the hope to spark real change to a system that is failing people of color.

And Ft. Worth has some recent history in this conversation, with the police murder of Atatiana Jefferson last year. The 28-year old woman was shot to death by police officer Aaron Dean, who shot her without announcing himself. Unlike many other similar events, the officer was indicted for murder. It was no surprise when the current wave of protest began, Ft. Worth saw its share of rallies and marches. The area was ready to speak out about the issues they had witnessed in their own community. 

When Supporters Speak

That’s why, when the news broke that Ft. Worth Vaqueros would be wearing the logo of FWPOA on this season’s kits, Nick Rainone decided it was time to resign. When I spoke with Nick, he made sure to emphasize that this was HIS opinion and decision, not the rest of the SG he has led for 4 years. “I want to state unequivocally that I am stepping down because, while I do speak on behalf of many of us, I don't speak on behalf of everyone and I won't put anything on the entire group that we haven't come to a full consensus on. I have been a supporter from year 1...I have been the President [Panther City Hellfire] for the last 4 years.” Panther City Hellfire is the independent supporter group of Ft. Worth Vaqueros.

“While Fort Worth Police Officers Association has been a sponsor from year one, it's always been an uneasy relationship for many of us as we are a pretty diverse SG and issues of police overreach have been a genuine day to day issue for many of our supporters and their families. On top of that the department already has a rocky recent history such as a violent and unnecessary raid on one of the city's main LGBTQ+ clubs, Rainbow Lounge, to the nationally broadcast beating of a black teenage girl at a swimming pool [this actually happened in McKenney, Texas. Thanks to Anthony White for bringing this to our attention]. And then Atatiana Jefferson happened. For me that alone should have disqualified the FWPOA from sponsorship eligibility despite their long relationship with the club. And in the current climate of justified peaceful protests, while FWPD has certainly not sunk to the levels of other PDs around the nation, they did gas a peaceful protest last week because someone threw one half-empty bottle of water their way.”

Nick went further in his criticism of the move. “To me this partnership sends a horrible message to our communities of color and for those who have stood up to demand real reform in policing and for those who do wrong to be ACTUALLY held accountable. So when they not only were allowed to participate in our jersey sponsorship lottery but actually won, it felt like a slap in the face to all of us who said this club was different and was community first.”

Rainone is quick to point out his own propensity to speak loudly about his beliefs and that he cannot and will not speak for the entire membership of Panther City Hellfire. “It's safe to say I am typically the most vehement in my convictions but many others have expressed similar concerns. Somewhat ties severed, some want to participate and protest, some want to support the club as is and ignore it, and a small handful are ok with it.” Much like the rest of the country, opinions are all over the board, particularly in a metro area in a southern state.

A Clash of Perspectives

From Hitchcock’s perspective, not including the FWPOA in the drawing was not an option. “Our Management team discussed the Virtual Jersey Sponsorship Lottery and the possibility that FWPOA could win the jersey sponsorship for 2020.  We are a club of inclusion and see this as an opportunity for the Vaqueros to take a leadership role in bringing the community together, on and off the field.  We're all in this together and I believe FWPOA was selected for a reason by the Soccer Gods.  We plan to introduce plans where the Vaqueros, our games and our community initiatives will help bring people together. Lots of work to be done but we plan to take a leadership role to help our community.”

That is in direct contradiction to Rainone’s view of what the correct response should have been. “I believe the club should have recognized the current national discussion and recognized that a jersey sponsorship was tone deaf at best. Our fans, front office, and sponsors have always enjoyed great engagement and mutual respect and a dialogue could have been opened to discuss this, a forum where more voices could have been heard and concerns raised with more time to discuss them. If I am being very personal in my take, speaking for myself specifically, I think the club should have recognized particularly the hurt and pain that the murder of Atatiana Jefferson has caused and understood that a serious, major nationally watched case such as that, which has still not even seen the beginnings of it's day in court due to COVID-19, was enough to take a step back from such a public partnership.”

But Vaqueros leadership wasn’t willing to make that decision, even though they are aware that many of their supporters are involved in protesting police violence. For what it’s worth, Hitchcock argues his club is pro BLM and protest. “We support BLM and the current protests. A lot of Vaqueros supporters have attended Fort Worth protests.  We respect everyone's opinion and understand that we're at a critical moment for positive change in this country and would like to play a critical role in making this happen. The Vaqueros and Soccer have a unique platform and opportunity to help make our community an even better place to live, work and play.”

The Path Forward

That being said, the club will follow through with it’s kit sponsorship deal because Hitchcock sees the potential for positive change. “We see this as an opportunity to play a key role in meaningful change in our community.  Vaqueros can be a catalyst to bring the Police community with the soccer community together.  Help advance the conversation and create programs that will help the great city of Fort Worth.  Stay tuned for more information on plans for the Vaqueros to do our part to help our community.”

One thought that bugged me was: what does the NPSL have to add to this discussion? Gary Moody, director of media relations for the NPSL, responded that, except for extreme cases, the league doesn’t get involved in sponsorship relationships. “For the most part, the league doesn’t have input on kit sponsorship. Probably 10-12 years ago, a team put a political candidate on their jersey, like as a political ad, and that wasn’t allowed by US Soccer. Obviously, the NPSL would intervene if it was something like a pornographic website or involved drug use or something inappropriate like that.”

Throughout the interview Hitchcock spoke highly of the supporter’s group and specifically Nick Rainone. “I love Nick like a brother and that will never change. He's a passionate community leader on so many levels. I respect his opinion and decision. Look forward to sitting down with Nick in the future and talking about all of this.  Hopefully, we'll see Nick at future Vaqueros games but we’ll respect his decisions.” That approach may soften the current standoff between the SG president and the organization, who stressed that he was more disappointed than anything else.

And that’s where the issue stands now - a triangle of opinions and views that all contradict each other, splintering loyalties, love, and commitment. For Rainone and the members of Panther City Hellfire who might be opposed to this decision, there’s little recourse - the team is set on it and the league is being hands-off. For the club, they’ve benefited from their relationship with FWPOA for years, see them as partners, and won’t turn their back on the organization now. FWPOA, who was not contacted for this article, are the barrier between a club and it’s SG president. They’ve supported and backed the club’s efforts in the communities for 6 years now, for the club, that’s earned them loyalty. It’s a muddy situation that will no doubt grow muddier as the situation gains more traction in social media.

Maybe that’s the perfect way to wrap this article, in the mud, with divided loyalties, conflicting perspectives, and a host of voices screaming opinions. What is right is hard to see. Finding the curb is almost impossible in the smoke. Our eyes are stinging with tears, both from gas and the injustice that stains every city in this country. Everything is confusion, everything is chaos, and how we make progress is invisible.

- Dan Vaughn

Researching the Rowland Cup

Former Protagonist Soccer staffwriter, Dan Creel, is a soccer historian. He researches, digging deep into history, looking to write, record, and promote the truth about the previous 100 years of soccer history in the United States. In fact, that was one of the reasons he became a former writer, he wanted more time to research without deadlines. But when he left, we agreed to always leave the door open for him to bring his work. So today, we offer a snapshot into his work, his preliminary research on the Rowland Cup. - Dan

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Centered on Baltimore, the game of soccer has a long, proud history in the state of Maryland. One of these sources of pride is the Rowland Cup. Established in 1914, it is the oldest cup in Maryland and the holders of the cup are considered the state’s club champions.

But, after the initial competition during the 1913-14 season, the record of the Rowland Cup all but disappeared for over a decade. It wasn’t until the 1924-25 season that the cup reappeared when the newly formed Maryland State Soccer Association, reinstituted the trophy to the winner of the association’s officially sanctioned first state cup competition.

What happened in the intervening years? While it won’t give the final definitive answer, this piece presents research which fills in some of the holes in the interregnum between the establishment of the initial Rowland Cup and its reappearance a decade later.

March 1, 1912, The Baltimore Sun

Henry W. Rowland died on February 29, 1912 following surgery for peritonitis. An Englishman by birth, “Dad” Rowland was considered the father of soccer in Baltimore and the driving force behind the Lord Baltimore Lodge, Sons of St. George football club. In fact, at the time of his death, the Sons of St. George and the Baltimore Thistles were in the midst of a five-game series which would determine the champions of Baltimore. As was the sporting standard at the time, this championship was not based on any sanctioning body but by public acclimation. A team had to beat the current champion via a notable win to become the champion.

The Thistles beat the Sons of St. George in the arranged series by winning two games, drawing two and losing one. With the series win, the Scotsmen were considered the soccer champions of both Baltimore and Maryland by wresting that title from the current holders, the Sons of St. George.

Spalding’s Official Soccer Foot Ball Guide, 1912

The Sons of St. George returned as Maryland champions in the 1912-13 season. The club compiled a 15-2-2 record and went undefeated against Baltimore opponents including multiple games against the Thistles.

Spalding’s Official Soccer Foot Ball Guide, 1913

Led by the nascent US Football Association (now the US Soccer Federation), which was quickly sanctioned by FIFA in August of 1913, the sport in the US began a new era of structuring during the 1913-14 season. This included the Baltimore when a group of established soccer clubs moved to form both a league and cup competition.

October 11, 1913, The Evening Sun

In early October of 1913, Julia A. Rowland, “Dad” Rowland’s widow, donated the H.W. Rowland trophy for a cup competition to name the best amateur club in all of Maryland. The competition would have a qualifying round and follow the structure of the English FA Cup. The same soccer mavens in charge of running the Rowland Cup also soon organized a soccer league for teams from Washington, DC, Wilmington, Delaware, and Maryland. Led by Harry Rowland, “Dad” Rowland’s son and manager of the Sons of St. George, the league was known as the Intercity Association Football League.

October 17, 1913, The Evening Sun

The Sons of St. George had a successful season that year. The club won the Intercity League and local newspapers titled them “amateur champions of the South.” The Sons also took the Rowland Cup and the Baltimore city championship. But while it is reported that the Sons were holders of  the Rowland Cup it is not certain how they actually won the cup.

September 13, 1914, The Baltimore Sun

It is at this point that the Rowland Cup trail goes cold. The Sons of St. George were edged out of the 1914-15 Intercity League title by the newly-formed Wanderer Soccer Club of Baltimore. The league then folded after two uneven seasons. It is unclear if this victory gave the Wanderers a claim on the state championship or if any matches were held for that championship.

A handful of clubs from the area organized a new Baltimore Soccer League in April of 1915. This league would require its players to be registered with the USFA making it the first Baltimore league fully sanctioned by the national body. The league never got off the ground for the 1915-16 season. Most of the well-established clubs returned to independent play while the Wanderers joined a Saturday league. It is not clear if the state championship was contested that season.

The Baltimore and District League was organized for the 1916-17 season including a planned cup competition. Many of the more-established area clubs joined the league.

There is no indication that the league held the cup competition during the season.

October 6, 1916, The Evening Sun

The Baltimore and District Soccer League planned for a second season during 1917-18. The Sons of St. George had planned to take part again along with St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Club. St. Elizabeth’s was a three-time Baltimore interpark champion and also looked ready to take the state championship. It is unclear if this refers to the Baltimore and District Soccer League title or the state championship title held by the Sons of St. George.

As the Baltimore and District Soccer League continue organizing for the season, The Evening Sun reported that the Sons of St. George were still the state champions. More importantly, the article states that the Rowland Cup was still active as the championship of Maryland, but teams hadn't competed for it the past three seasons.

The second season of the Baltimore and District League never got off the ground. Most of the clubs went back to playing as independents.

On Thanksgiving Day in Patterson Park, St. Elizabeth’s beat Sons of St. George 1-0 and claimed the Maryland state championship. No mention of the Rowland Cup is made. Nor, obviously, was the title achieved via a tournament as envisioned back in 1913.

In the fall of 1918, the Baltimore Soccer Club organized with the intention of winning the Maryland state championship. This team would go on to dominate the Baltimore soccer landscape for the next five years.

The Baltimore Soccer Club went undefeated in its inaugural 1918-19 season.

February 28, 1919, The Evening Sun

In the fall of 1919, St. Patrick’s Catholic Club reorganized its soccer team and made its intention known to challenge other clubs. In November of that year, St. Patricks’ challenged and defeated a number of Baltimore-area teams. The destination was a date with the Baltimore Soccer Club.

It is unclear, though likely, that these were a set of challenge matches rather than a formal cup tournament. But the newspaper articles of the time made it clear that the State championship was on the line.

St. Patrick’s continued its tear through local opposition knocking out Sons of St. George, Latrobe Park and Bethlehem Steel of Baltimore. The ultimate prize was a Christmas Day match with the Baltimore Soccer Club, presumed state champions.

While St. Patrick’s was carving through its opposition hoping to play the Baltimore Soccer Club, the newly-organized Greater Baltimore Soccer League began play in December of 1919. Backed by Baltimore’s Public Athletic League, the GBSL launched with seven teams including the Baltimore Soccer Club and St. Patrick’s. Instead of the envisioned state championship match, the latter club played its first league game on Christmas Day against Bethlehem Steel and lost 3-0.

Any talk of state championship matches disappeared from the papers and was replaced by GBSL league games. The Baltimore Soccer Club ran away with the 1919-20 league pennant completing two undefeated seasons. The team was still considered the state champions.

The Baltimore Soccer Club won the 1920-21 Greater Baltimore Soccer League with another undefeated season. The team continued to be considered the state champions as it prepared for another league season.

Even though its record was finally marred by a 2-0 defeat to the Patterson Tigers, the Baltimore Soccer Club again won the Greater Baltimore Soccer League. The club took the 1921-22 GBSL title on the final game of the season which brought with it the de facto state championship.

The Baltimore Soccer Club jumped to the newly-formed Southeastern Soccer League along with the Patapsco Rangers of South Baltimore and teams from Norfolk and Richmond for the 1922-23 season. The clubs received entry into the early rounds of the National Challenge Cup with Baltimore Soccer Club defeating the Rangers in the Preliminary Round. Baltimore defeated Norfolk in the First Round but withdrew after playing to a draw against Philadelphia’s Fairhill F.C. in the Second Round.

March 26, 1923, The Baltimore Sun

Patapsco won the 1922-23 Southeastern League pennant edging Baltimore Soccer Club in their games. After the league season, the two clubs played a series of games to determine the best team.

January 28, 1924, The Baltimore Sun

But, as before, the articles included no mention of the Rowland Cup as the series was almost certainly not part of that still-dormant competition.

The Patapsco Rangers and Baltimore Soccer Club returned for the Southeastern Soccer League’s second season in 1923-24. The two Virginia clubs were replaced by two teams from Philadelphia. In January, a three-game series between the Rangers and Baltimore for the Maryland state championship was fully sanctioned by the USFA.

But, before the state championship series would be played, the Patapsco Rangers and Baltimore Soccer Club played a Southeastern Soccer League game on January 27.

The Patapsco Rangers won a come-from-behind 2-1 victory. Knocked out of a chance for the league title, Buddy Miller immediately disbanded the Baltimore Soccer Club for the remainder of the 1923-24 season. With the Baltimore club out of the picture, the Southeastern League title was ultimately won by the Philadelphia Terminal club which edged out the Rangers.

The Southeastern League also sponsored a Baltimore city cup championship, chaired by Baltimore Soccer Club manager Buddy Miller, which began on February 10.

March 31, 1924, The Baltimore Sun

The tournament was won by the Alco Soccer Club over the Freebooters by a 2-1 score in added extra time. The Alco Soccer Club was a relatively new, but powerful club having players from other well-established Baltimore teams. In January, Alco was edged by the Baltimore Soccer Club 3-2 but in early February beat the Patapsco Rangers 2-1. The latter match was reported as the first of a three-game series, but, as of late March, no follow-up games between the two had been held.

The Alco Soccer Club defeated the Patapsco Rangers in the last game of the season on March 30. A crowd of 10,000 gathered in Patterson Park to see the city champions take down the professionals 2-0. According to The Baltimore Sun, that win gave the Alcos a claim on the state championship.

In the fall of 1924, clubs from the Baltimore Soccer League and Maryland Soccer League, along with the Baltimore Referees’ Association, formed the Maryland State Soccer Association. The association received official sanctioning from the USFA. 

On April 5, the Patapsco Rangers defeated Catonsville 2-0 in the finals at Patterson Park before a crowd of 7,000. During the tournament, Catonsville had defeated the champions of the Greater Baltimore Soccer League, the Wingfoot Soccer Club, along with the state champions, Hampden A.C., formerly the Alco Soccer Club. As such, with the win, the Rangers took not only the Maryland State Soccer Association cup, but also the Rowland Cup itself, and the title of state champions.

From this initial research, I would conclude that the original Rowland Cup was not contested after the 1913-14 season. From that point until the establishment of the Maryland State Soccer Association’s cup tournament during the 1924-25 season, the Rowland Cup was dormant. State champions during that time were decided based on the traditional sporting standard of self-arranged challenge matches and acclimation by the public and the press.

Given the above, here’s how I would presume to define the Maryland state soccer champions beginning in 1912 and through the founding of the Maryland State Soccer Association.

In late February of 1925, the first cup competition under this new organization was formed. Harry Rowland donated a trophy, to be called the Rowland Cup, to be presented to the annual champions.

Selectors:

BDSL = Baltimore and District Soccer League

BS/ES = Baltimore Sun/Evening Sun

GBSL = Greater Baltimore Soccer League

ICL = Intercity League

MSSA = Maryland State Soccer Association

RCC = Rowland Cup committee

SG = Spalding Guide

- Dan Creel

If you love articles like this and want to support Dan Creel’s work, he has a Patreon you should support. I know I do.

He also has a website you can check out.

My Best Ten and Me: Featuring Former Staff Writer Dominic José Bisogno

For this week’s Best Ten & Me we went to well for a former staff writer and current free lancer who’s done work for These Footy Times, Football Paradise, The Growler Mag, Breaking the Lines, and the Beautiful Game Network - Dom Bisogno. If you follow him in the Twitterverse, you’ll be acutely aware of his high regards for South American footballers and in particular Mr. Salomón Rondón; we were not let down in our expectations of his inclusion. Dom gave a us a fleshed-out classic 4-4-2 after we gave him the following rules…

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

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

(GK) Bobby Shuttleworth
I’ve gone with Shuttleworth, who I saw live on many occasions in 2017 for Minnesota United. He moved on to Chicago eventually, but Bobby was an absolute wall on his day. I watched him bust his nose, save critical chances, and make memories for me, so he gets the spot and adds a touch of American.

* (RB) Dominic Bisogno
I’ve always liked fullbacks. Across a range of systems and formations, fullbacks have such a wide range of roles to play. I’ve enjoyed playing both left and right back but decided on the right. I’m not the fastest or smartest player, but I do a half decent job of tracking players and have a good jersey tug in my arms. My dad frequently played the position as well, so perhaps there’s a lineage somewhere in there.

(CB) Virgil Van Dijk
I’m not sure how to word this beyond the obvious. Virgil Van Dijk has emerged as one of the elite defenders of the world, becoming a symbol in a Liverpool squad usually only defined by its attacking options. Commanding, award winning, and ruthless; you simply can’t leave a talent like this out of the eleven.

(CB) Diego Godín
Godín is a special player. For club and country, he’s played at the highest levels for over ten years and built a reputation as a ruthless student of the world’s top defenses at every turn. South America is usually lauded for its attacking talents, but Godín is an example of the top, major trophy worthy, defensive talent available there.

(LB) Andrew Robertson
I struggle to find a reason not to love this man. He’s the rags to riches story we like to think lay behind all our favorite players (but often doesn’t), but he’s also an unapologetic bastard on the pitch. Looking across from my position on the right, I can only dream of showing the level of intensity Robertson does every week.

(RM) Ibson
He’s played for notable clubs in Portugal, Italy, Russia, and Brazil, but it’s Ibson’s three or so years at Minnesota United (both NASL & MLS) that define him for me. Ibson was the most uniquely fun player I’ve ever watched live. He had tricks, he had attitude, he had the occasional goal, he had everything. The club may have not flourished on the league table while he was around, but he’s a player I’ll forever miss being able to watch live for his passion, skill, and drama.

(CM) Yangel Herrera
My Ankles shiver when I watch Herrera play for Granada these days, just like they did years ago watching him play for Venezuela’s U20’s and eventually for the senior team. He’s got a few good goals in him and plenty of assists, but at his core, he’s the quintessential Venezuelan midfielder; he’s a bone cracker. It’ll be years before he hits his prime but I need him in that midfield to teach people a lesson.

(CM) Andrés Iniesta
People don’t appreciate players like Iniesta the way the used to. He didn’t score all the goals, he didn’t have viral celebrations, but by God was Andrés Iniesta a master of the game. In his prime, he is a must.

(LM) Yeferson Soteldo
Easily one of Venezuela’s most exciting young players, Soteldo has lit up Brazil with his offensive play for Santos as of late, along with his recent role as a key attacking option for la Vinotinto. He’s 5’2” but makes up for it with some of the most magical feet you’ll ever see.

(CF) Josef Martínez
Seeing Josef Martínez live in 2017 was a turning point in my relationship with football. He’s one of a few Venezuelan players I’ve seen live and the only I’ve seen score a hat-trick (a shame it was against my club…) Hailing from the same city as my dad, it’s honestly an honor to have any shred of connection to such an insanely talented player.

(CF) Salomón Rondón
He’s Venezuala’s all-time top goal scorer and a historic player for the clubs and trophies he’s managed to win in Europe, he’s alsoprobably going to be my favorite player forever. Rondón is the hard working, genuine man we want all footballers to be. His headers aren’t half bad either.

Business Spotlight: Calyx Design

With a few lower league badges under his belt, Richard Miller of Calyx Design has quickly become a highly admired engineer of soccer design. We continue our series of Business Spotlights by asking him where he started and to see if there is a limit on what Calyx can do - spoilers… I’m not sure there is.

When did you launch Calyx as a business and where does the name come from?

I started Calyx Design back in 1997, after about seven years as designer/art director for a small San Francisco design shop. I’d reached the point in my professional development that it was probably well past time to strike out on my own. My employer caught wind of my plans to do just that, and fired me on the spot. It was exactly the push I needed, and I’ve never looked back.

The business name is a Latin term for the outer part of a flower, the usually-green whorl just outside the petals. In some flowers (such the clematis featured in my logo), though, it’s the part that puts on the brightly colored show.  I do love gardening and growing things, but the real reason I picked the name was that I loved the word.

Crests designed by Calyx are more than cut & paste shields or roundels, each one tells a regional or club-specific narrative.

Looking at your website, Calyx has done an amazing job on projects for all sorts of businesses, when did your interest in soccer and design begin to intersect?

I fell in love with soccer shortly after moving to Portland, Oregon in 2008. I was convinced by a good friend to become a season ticket holder for the Timbers’ inaugural MLS season (2011), and have stood in the North End in the Timbers Army for nearly every home match since.  

Early on I became involved with a small tifo crew (PTFC Moderates), and began pouring my spare time into matchday banners and 2-sticks. It wasn’t long before that work led to being noticed by folks in the regional soccer world, and to being recognized as a professional who could help with real-world soccer projects.

Do you have favorite projects - if so, which ones did you get really excited to be working on?

Soccer-wise, I’ve honestly fallen in love with every club I’ve worked with, and become personally invested in their success. It may seem like a cliche, but it’s a fact. I’m certain that my ability to identify with clients is a large part of the secret of my success.

From window treatments to book covers, menu and table cards to gigantic vehicle advertisements, Calyx can take your idea and not only help you create an identity, but help you apply it professionally in ways you might not have thought possible.

We've seen your work with grassroots soccer clubs Alta California Sol, AC Chehalem Valley, PDX FC, and Santa Maria Synergy. While some clubs in soccer have nice logos, yours are a little extra special - what's your process like? What makes your work so unique and attractive?

Crest development (any logo work, really) is all about listening. I believe that the most successful crests elicit strong emotion in their bearers, and I want the clubs I work with to fall in love with theirs.  Listening closely and reflecting the club back at itself is the only reliable way to make that happen.  

I listen to the club and its stakeholders. I learn what makes it special, what its values are, and how it connects to the community. And lest this seem too ethereal, working through this process plants both conceptual and visual ideas in me, evokes symbols, determines font choices, color palettes and all sorts of the minuscule details that add up to make a crest special..

And of course the process has to be collaborative.. After the learning phase, I come back to the club with a set of 3–5 tight sketches – often more since I can’t help myself. We go over these, identify which elements resonate and which aren’t clicking as well, and then I come back with revisions. We continue this process of sculpting until we’ve arrived at something we’ve all fallen in love with..

Are there any clubs we missed and are there teams out there you really wish would reach out to you, if not for the money, but simply to make something beautiful? Willing to say which ones you wish would call you?

I love working with lower league clubs. My ideal client is one with aspirations to elevating their club above the competition, while creating a real sense of local connection and community. 

I’ve also worked with The Portland Timbers u23s and with the American Outlaws (US National Team supporters group) to develop scarves, patches, and other merch.

Scarves, patches, animated gifs; working with Calyx can help you elevate the aesthetic of your organization and make it look top-level.

But  you don't stop at making a nice crest do you? What other renderings and files can you make that really add a ton of value to your work with clubs?

Along with the crest, even my most basic branding offering includes social media cover and profile graphics, secondary logos and wordmarks, branded textures/patterns, and a book of brand standards listing color codes, crest usage guidelines, fonts, and a guide to the set of online/print-ready digital files I’ve supplied.

Ideally, though, I get to take things further, with social media graphics (animated and otherwise), merchandise such as scarves (so many scarves!), website development, kit consultation, and so on.

Anything you're working on that is new to you? A new product or service you can offer? What's next for Calyx Design?

Let’s see…. I’ve been gradually developing my animation chops (as seen in motion graphics for PDXFC and AC Chehalem Valley), but that’s a work in process. 

I’ve recently begun to develop a line of merchandise that I sell under the name of CalyxWorks. In some ways, this is an outgrowth of my work with the tifo crew (you’ll see t-shirts that began life as rail banners), but it also allows me to share new and varied design inspirations directly with a larger public. I’ve even added a mailing list where folks can be notified when a new design drops!. 

Generally speaking, though, my wheelhouse is anything that falls under the rubric of Visual Branding for small businesses … especially soccer.

To check out everything Calyx has to offer and to get in touch: https://calyxdesign.com/

A Response

Trying to write something meaningful and thoughtful without being trite or repetitive is daunting right now, but I’ll do my best. We are a website, dedicated to grassroots soccer, but we are made up of individuals, citizens of this country - remaining silent, in this moment, is not an option. -Dan

The events that happened in Minneapolis a week ago - the murder of George Floyd by a police officer and the ensuing unrest and demonstrations - have opened a wound that has been in the American system from our founding. At different times in our nation’s history, we have endorsed, enforced, ignored, and slapped at racial injustice to varying degrees. We have had moments of progress, the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, the Civil Rights Act, and several Supreme Court cases that have struck down racist and discriminatory laws in parts of this country. But that drive to progress has been in fits and starts, leaving many generations of Black Americans to bide their time, suffer in the moment, and live off hope. And that reality, without a doubt, is WRONG.

Black Americans have fought in wars for this country, contributed to our economic success, filled our country’s museums with works of art, massively expanded our cannon of literature, theatre, and music, served in our government from local positions to the highest in the land - they are our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and friends - they ARE America.

For too long, Black lives have mattered less than white lives. In the end, that is the gap that has caused so many injustices in so many different facets of their daily lives. It has influenced where businesses have built infrastructure, which employees have been hired, and which loan applications are approved. It has justified a lack of funding for schools and social services, the practice of “redlining,” and purposeful destruction of thriving black business districts with selective highway construction. It has led to inequality in the justice system, from the laws that are written, to the overpolicing of Black neighborhoods, to Black incarceration rates that are unparalleled in the western world. And, of course, It has led to thousands of Black men and women losing their lives at the hands of white police officers, most of whom will never face a trial for their crimes.

We stand with the protestors that are in the streets now. We stand with them because they are protesting a system that is wrong and must change or be eliminated entirely. We know rioting and property damage may happen, but we recognize that 400 years of oppression can inspire significant rage. Buildings can be rebuilt. The Black dead can’t be revived. It is time to stand, as a country, and correct this situation. Black citizens deserve equal treatment under the law. Black children deserve the same opportunity as white children. Black votes deserve to count as much as every other vote. Those that kill Black citizens, police or not, must be held accountable and suffer the consequences of their actions. Black voices must be heard. It’s time to change.

Black Lives Matter.

- Protagonist Soccer

Dan Vaughn - Founder and Editor

Joshua Duder - Assistant Editor

Ryan Stallings - Founder and Staff Writer

John Howard-Fusco - Staff Writer

Thumbnail image courtesy of New York Times.

My Best Ten and Me: The All Time Greatest From Cleveland SC

Our ongoing series of Best Ten’s + 1 takes us to Cleveland SC this week and President Samuel Seibert decided the following rules weren’t for him either…

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

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

He was sure to insert current head coach Tom Beck and told me the first player off the bench was going to be Bobi Cancar - Bobi had the task of filling in for Declan after his departure. Bobi is the one guy we want on the pitch when we are caught out. He’ll take on everyone and end up with the ball more times than not. 2016 Champion. Mr. Samuel Seibert went on to explain that the players are sent to me in a 4-3-3 and might look that way on the pitch initially, but Just because its these specific guys, many times we are going 3-1-2-1-3 to rock a diamond because Mikey and Admir run the show in the middle - The forewards take care of everything once we pass midfield. Here’s the Best ELEVEN from Cleveland SC.

(GK) Marijo Musa
(Cleveland, OH)- Marijo is currently a goalkeeper trainer with Cleveland Force SC. Marijo has had caps with the USSDA when younger and shows that composure in the net for the majority of our matches. Marijo has the most clean sheets in our history.

(RB) Chris Cvecko
(Cleveland, OH/CWRU Alumni)- Current Orange High School Head Coach. He is an Ironman that plays every minute of every match that wins out with stamina. His ability to contribute offensively from the back line generally has him scoring more goals in a season than he allows from his side. 2016 National Champ

(CB) Coletun Long
(University of Dayton/ Cleveland, OH) - Coletun is the Captain of the Club with shear grit and intensity that intimidates Strikers more than anything. Coletun helped spur a comeback against Rochester FC in the 2019 Regional playoff with the first goal of a 4-1 run to win 6-4. We were down 3-1 in the 83rd minute. Coletun is a 2016 Champ as well.

(CB) Declan McGivern
(Huddersfield England/ Notre Dame College Alumnus) Currently with Runcorn FC across the pond, is extremely difficult to win a header against at his 6’5” stature. In that fashion Declan scored the very first league goal for Cleveland SC in 2018. 2016 National Champ

(LB) Corban McAvinew
(Cleveland, OH) Middle name Blade and it’s extremely fitting. His cuts and slicing of opposing players dribble ability makes him a dual threat. Corban is currently on SIUE’s college squad.

(RCM) Admir Suljevic
(Wickliffe, OH) - Admir is a field general, a played out term but it suits him to a tee. When it comes to crunch time there is no one better to rely upon to find the net. Penalty and free kicks are his strength as he can bend with the best. 2016 National Champ.

(LCM) Kareem Banton
(Jamaica- Cleveland State University)(2018 squad)Kareem thrives on his speed. There is not much quicker in semi-pro leagues and is a professional prospect.

(CAM) Mikey Derezic
(Lakewood, OH) - Mikey’s midfield play has him as the director on the pitch. He fools everyone with his ball skills then shoots to score. Mikey scores Cleveland SC’s only goal against a strong Paul Danglish led Miami FC squad in the 2019 Regional match. 2016 NPSL champion.

(RW) Antonio Manfut
Antonio represents his own skills clinic AM Skill Training as he is well known for his professional indoor talent. Antonio’s aggressive nature and footwork has defenders in circles at times. Antonio scores the game winner in 2016 for AFC Cleveland’s NPSL Championship. Antonio’s goal in 2019 from mid pitch has gone viral. Antonio currently plays for the Florida Tropics indoor squad of MPSL. 

(CF) Vinny Bell
(CWRU Alumni/Cleveland, OH)- current board member of America Scores Non-Profit agency is a serious force that does well in traffic. Vinny can be left up too by himself and still find ways to score. Vinny was most recently voted 3rd best NPSL player of all-time. 2016 NPSL Champion. 

(LW) Tom Beck
(Poland, OH) - Current Head Coach and Alumni of Cardinal Mooney High School Soccer presents an intimidating dilemma on the pitch. His ability to create on his own has him score almost every time he is on the pitch, one of his best goals came against Monarcas Morelia Reserves Spring 2019. 2016 NPSL Champion.

Lower League eCup Crowns Champions

It was just a month or so ago when the NPSL cancelled their season due to the pandemic. Around the same time, the WPSL followed suite, while UPSL and UWS decided to go on hold for the foreseeable future. USL League 2 had cancelled the month before, while the rest of the pro leagues, including USL, MLS, and NISA took steps to either close down for the year or look for modified approaches to the season. Soccer was going into hibernation in this country, while the vast majority of the country was at home with little distraction from the news of death and sickness that filled social media platforms.

Sometimes a moment picks a person, not the other way around. For Joe Meyer, a high school senior from Albany, NY, it was his time to shine. “I'm a huge sports fan, so once I realized that it would be at least a few months until live sports could return, I began to look at eSports as an innovative alternative. Originally, I had planned for 12-16 clubs, so to see the rapid growth of the tournament was amazing.” The competition’s growth certainly was amazing, going from his planned 12-16 competitors to 120. Those clubs and supporters groups provided “a total of 153 entries across the three consoles (78 PS4, 67 Xbox, 8 PC). These clubs came from 26 different leagues, stretching from professional leagues to the third and fourth divisions of local amateur leagues, and everywhere in between.”

In a short interview with Joe, we got feedback on the entire experience. “By far the biggest challenge was the launch. I only had ten days from when I first put the eCup on twitter until the group stage draw. That meant ten days to not only market the cup and process over 120 clubs, but also develop a streaming strategy, business plan, format, rules, and everything else that goes into a tournament/league. Everything else came down to adapting on the fly and working to make the event better every day.” So in some ways, just like most lower leagues. 

The massive success of the Lower League eCup brought some profiteers into the picture, including one individual who attempted to create his own league (with a similar name and branding as Joe’s competition). We’re happy to report that, at least for the moment, the backlash was enough for this individual to shut down entirely. 

The competition ended this week with the resulting champions:

Xbox One - In the Xbox One Final, the Oly Town Artesians took down fan-favorites Minneapolis City SC, who were represented by center back Jonah Garcia. Oly Town’s Angel Trejo ran the table, going 10-0 and set the tournament record for goals in a single match, putting 22 past a supporter from the Cal United Strikers in the group stage.

PS4 - Deiver Lopez of FC Motown held off a late comeback by Providence City FC’s Chris Moura to claim the title. Motown certainly benefited from having a professional FIFA player in their club, Lopez qualified for the FIFA20 World Championships this winter, and I’ve been told he already has an offer to join a major European club as an official eSports player. 

PC - Finally, Metro Louisville took down Oakland County FC for the PC championship, winning 9-4 on aggregate. Supporter Wyatt Weeks led the NPSL expansion side to the title, winning every match along the way.

Image courtesy of Lower League eCup.

And of course, success breeds more success, as Joe has already begun to plan for the 2021 version of the competition. “I'm excited to announce that the eCup is transitioning to an annual event to be held every year from January-mid February! My perspective is that the Lower League eCup can be an extremely valuable asset to the lower league community as an annual tournament that brings together supporters, players, and clubs from across the country. Furthermore, by playing in the offseason, it provides clubs with a platform to grow their brand on a national level, engage with their supporters, and stay relevant in their communities!” 

Our favorite response to any question was Joe’s enthusiasm for his favorite memory of the tournament, “The Xbox One Final between Minneapolis City SC and Oly Town Artesians certainly has a compelling argument for the most memorable night of the tournament. Still waiting on confirmation, but between the streams of both clubs, we had over 100 viewers tune in to that match (official number will be released soon). That amount of viewership is incredible for a FIFA tournament, and I am willing to assume that the Minneapolis City stream had the best viewership numbers of any club or league across the several leagues and tournaments that are currently ongoing. It’s a testament to the success and popularity of this event, and the hard work and dedication of the staff at Minneapolis City and Oly Town for helping promote and broadcast the event!”

“Thank you to all of the players, clubs, supporters, and sponsors who helped make the event so special. I appreciate that all of you were willing to take a chance on this event, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out! Stay tuned to the Twitter page as there will be some commemorative merchandise available next week, and a few promotional activities that will keep the eCup active on social media! Registration for 2021 will open in November, and I can’t wait to see everybody back in January!”

— Joe Meyer

Joe Meyer saw a gap and filled it. Not for profit or fame, but with a solution that was “designed to be a platform for clubs and supporters groups to compete in some form of competition and engage with their fans during an extremely difficult time, while also helping bring the lower league community together.” The moment picked Joe and he responded.

Follow Joe Meyer and the Lower League eCup on Twitter.

- Dan Vaughn

Editor’s Note: While Protagonist Soccer did not create or run this tournament in any way, we did provide financial sponsorship.

Business Spotlight: Unozero

With so many boot options for players, fans, and coaches, we often reach for the name brands we know and are familiar with. However, Venezuela-born owner of UNOZERO, Sam Garzon, was kind enough to answer a few questions about these top-quality soccer cleats that his company makes. We continue our Business Spotlight with UNOZERO:

What inspired the founding of UNOZERO and does the name have a specific meaning?
UNOZERO comes from a personal need. The need to connect with a true soccer-centric brand, one that only produces top-tier product for the serious footballer. There was nothing like it in the market before UNOZERO.

Regarding our name, UNOZERO comes from the number worn by the all-time greats, the mythical #10. The vision was to create the best performing boot, with the highest quality materials, made by the best shoemakers in the industry, in order to create a boot worthy of the great players that have sported the number.

Your design aesthetic is breathtaking, what informs the decision to use the natural materials and classic design we see instead of the flashy modern looks and synthetic materials?
Thank you for the compliment…we agree with you (laughs)

UNOZERO cleats are designed to provide optimum fit, while at the same time provide comfort and protection. When it comes to getting a ‘custom’ fit, leather and knit are the best materials. However, knit does not provide good protection as the material is too fragile. Leather, on the other hand, does provide that protection while molding to the foot for that custom-like fit.

When it comes to our design, a number of years ago I needed to buy a pair of cleats, and when I got to the store, I found I had two color options: neon green or bright red. If I wanted a more serious colorway, I would have to settle for a boot designed (and not updated) since the 80’s. I could not believe there were no options for the serious footballer. Either you get a modern performance boot and look like an 8 year old, or, you get a more serious looking boot but have to put up with an outdated technical design. That’s when I realized there was an opportunity to create something special, something different. An elegant and modern performance boot.

Our design pays homage to the more traditional boot, while at the same time contains modern accents, like the bronze elements across the mid-foot and counter. We use a modern sole-plate that provides great traction and rotation, as well as, use a mid-sole to reduce stud pressure and increase comfort.

We have truly created a ‘modern classic’ designed for today’s level of play. 

Our readership is primarily players, coaches, owners and fans of lower league US soccer; who is your target demographic - what type of soccer person are you trying to appeal to?
Our target is the serious footballer. A serious footballer is someone that plays, loves, and understands the beautiful game, and we find that these traits run across all demographics. That is why we find high school, college, amateur, semi-pro, and pro players alike wearing UNOZEROs. We cater to the true footballer. 

Each boot is hand-crafted from Kangaroo Leather by artisans in Northern Italy

We've seen your affiliation with UPSL soccer, so we know you're aware of footy at this level here - can you tell us more about how that relationship with UPSL came about and do you have anything similar planned going forward?
It is critical to support the development of the beautiful game from the ground up. Especially during these challenging times, where we have seen fundamental institutions like the national soccer youth federation fold. It is important for us to do what we can to support the continuous growth of the sport in the country. We are always looking for ways to help.

Your product line seems spartan, with just the one boot in either black or white - are there any additional boots in development; perhaps a flat for indoor or futsal players? What's next for UNOZERO?
Great question. In short, yes, we always spend time in the drawing board developing new models. In fact, we have plans to release a new model this summer. As we continue to grow, we will include other surfaces into our portfolio. We are very thoughtful on everything we do, that is why we do not pump out product every three weeks like other brands. Others play what I like to call the ‘flavor of the month’ game. We have a more meticulous approach.

UNOZERO makes honest, high quality products, and shy away from the ‘mega speed, lethal power’ gimmicks. UNOZERO is a football brand for those seeking a higher quality boot that allows them to perform at their true peak level, with no gimmicks, no compromises. This will always be true to UNOZERO, and that sets us apart.

To get yourself into a pair of UNOZERO: https://unozero.com/

Previewing the Match: What We Saw

When the NPSL notified us that they wanted us to choose a match to sponsor, we couldn’t have landed a more perfect match than the 2018 NPSL Heartland Conference Semifinal between Little Rock Rangers SC (Home) and Tulsa Athletic (Away). Not only because it was a great match, but because one of our staff, Ryan Stallings, is one of the principal guys in the Little Rock Rangers’ supporters group, The Red Watch. So Ryan sat down and wrote about his memories of this season, offering you, the reader, a preview from the eyes of a guy who went to the match. Yesterday, Ryan broke down the lead up, today he gives you the matchday experience. The match will be shown here. Enjoy.

- Dan

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It is difficult for me alone to describe the coalescence of feelings while standing in the tunnel with fellow Red Watch members preparing to march into Section 29 of War Memorial Stadium on the eve of the Little Rock Rangers’ first home playoff match in club history. Pride in the club’s accomplishments leading to this moment, confidence that the club’s players and staff will acquit themselves well in the match ahead, and still anxious if the stage might be too great, too soon, too ill-timed.

Rangers’ supporter Trent Eskola summed up that feeling of nervousness well. “Given last year’s back to back results in Tulsa, and the fact we’d just defeated them for the first time at home four days prior, I knew they would want revenge.”

Would the moment prove too great for the Stags? Was it too much to ask them to knock off Tulsa just four days after they managed it for just the first time in club history? Would hosting a first playoff match prove too great a distraction? Could we be more confident of the result were it anyone else but Tulsa Athletic, again?

Granted, the ninety-four hours since the previous match hadn’t softened any lingering animosity felt between the fanbases. Tulsa Armory members were quick to note the history of results between the clubs, while Red Watch supporters retorted with scoreboard pointing and talk of home field advantage. Tulsa’s owner, Sonny Delasandro, responded to Rangers fans’ boasts of Stags’ GK Walid Birrou’s ability to negate the vaunted Tulsa offensive by saying Birrou was “the fourth best goalkeeper we’ve faced in the conference this season, at best.” This comment was screenshot by supporters and shown to players and fans, helping cement Tulsa Athletic in their minds as the now hated rival.

Now that rival’s players lined up in the tunnel alongside the home club, and members of the Tulsa Armory filed into the stands opposite us. We marched into our section, drums pounding, banners waving, voices chanting. I remember the eerie quiet of the dozens of supporters beside me, and the thousands of fans behind me, as we stood through the national anthem, then watched the players take their places on the pitch. Supporters leaned over the wall, smoke in hand, ready to pull the pins and release red clouds over the stadium. Everyone in attendance leaned forward in anticipation of the opening whistle. Then, from along the wall, supporter Brenden Beattie screamed “F**k Tulsa, And F**k their shitty litter box of a state!” All nervousness was lost, and laughter rippled through the supporter ranks in its stead. Then, the whistle shreaked. Smoke rolled. Drums pulsed. Crowd Roared. Kickoff.

The majority of the match played out eerily similar to the contest four nights prior, with Tulsa showcasing their highflying attack capable of striking from anywhere over the pitch. Little Rock rested on the ability of their stout defensive midfield and veteran backline to negate Tulsa’s aggressive play, but the A’s came at the Stags in wave after wave of early attacks, testing Birrou with a variety of shots. Tulsa even managed to get behind the Rangers defenders and create some 1v1 chances, but Birrou stood on his head and kept the netting free of a Tulsa goal. Rangers fans were quick to note both Walid’s playmaking and Sonny’s location in the stands, sending chants of “Fourth best keeper in the league!” rolling in his direction. Sonny, to his credit, showed good form in responding to both the chants and to the growing number of youthful Rangers fans taking special interest in bantering with the Tulsa Armory members in attendance.

“This was the match I truly believe you could feel the crowd, as a whole, take on the identity of being Rangers fans. No longer was a Rangers game a fun evening activity to go see them play against some other team. The fans began to bleed for the club, and they were deeply invested in the play of the match itself, and in bantering with Tulsa’s fans specifically because it was Tulsa,” Rangers’ supporter Mason Shuffied recalls.

Halftime, for Little Rock’s players and fans, came mercifully. The Stags had endured the full assault of Tulsa’s attack, and began to return the attacking favors late as cracks started to show in the A’s counter defense.

The second half saw a more even competition develop, with Little Rock growing into the game and matching Tulsa blow for blow in build up play. The feeling in the supporters section, as the time ticked past the 70th minute, was that a single goal was sure to decide the game. As the 80th minute passed, it seemed that single goal would have to wait until extra time. But the 88th minute, that thought appeared assured. Then Donald Benamna and the 89th minute of the match happened.

To truly watch and understand that sequence in the corner of the Rangers’ attacking half is to understand much of the 2018 season for the Rangers, and Benamna’s role in it. Donald had found Little Rock through his time at the University of Central Arkansas, twenty-five minutes up I-40 from the Rock City. A Central African Republic native, Washington Beltway resident, and San Diego State University transfer, Benamna brought a wrinkle to the Rangers attack that had been severely missing in previous seasons. Making his Rangers debut in week two of the 2018 regular season, down late 1-0 to FC Wichita, Donald outclassed the opposition on the field and evened the score. He nearly won the game with several dangerous attacks in final minutes before an incredible goal in the dying seconds secured a win for eventual conference champion Wichita. Little Rock endured a loss that night, but Donald put the rest of the conference on notice, and proceeded to punish every team that respected or disrespected his presence on the field from there on out. Again and again throughout the year, his teammates were content to through-pass to him alone in his favored vantage point in the left attacking corner, where over and over Donald would embarrass a defender or three in creating a scoring chance for himself for his fellow Stags. Four night’s ago, he’d found such success in putting the match away against Tulsa in the 89th minute for the victory.

Tonight, he’d been frustrated by the Tulsa defense. Until now, the 89th minute. Again in the left attacking corner. Donald dribbled with his back to goal before cutting inside between two overlapping Tulsa defenders. Having gained the angle inside, Donald flicked a pass back to center to midfielder Katsuyoshi Kimishima. Katsu’s shot deflected off a defender’s step in a small, looping hop directly towards the Tulsa goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and waiting hands...and to Donald Benamna, who beat the keeper to the deflected ball and drove it into the upper right corner of the Tulsa net.

“Donald’s goal will always be be a moment I remember,” Eskola recalls, “The last minute, the dominant play. The scenes, I mean, the absolute scenes. The loudest I've heard that stadium in a long time.”

Goal. Smoke. Roar of the Crowd. Whistle. Match.

- Ryan Stallings

Previewing the Match: The Set Up

When the NPSL notified us that they wanted us to choose a match to sponsor, we couldn’t have landed a more perfect match than the 2018 NPSL Heartland Conference Semifinal between Little Rock Rangers SC (Home) and Tulsa Athletic (Away). Not only because it was a great match, but because one of our staff, Ryan Stallings, is one of the principal guys in the Little Rock Rangers’ supporters group, The Red Watch. So Ryan sat down and wrote about his memories of this season, offering you, the reader, a preview from the eyes of a guy who went to the match. The bad blood between the clubs, the struggle of Rangers against Tulsa, the set up to the playoff match, it’s all there. Enjoy.

- Dan

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On Wednesday, July 11th, 2018, the evening air in Little Rock is thick. The inescapable humidity of a city built on the banks of the Arkansas River in the American South blends with the fevered anticipation of thousands of Little Rock Rangers SC supporters and settles over War Memorial Stadium in the heart of the city. Tonight, the home side’s fans have good reason for their nervous excitement. After steady improvement since their founding in 2016, the Rangers are hosting a postseason match for the first time in the club’s three-year history. To further raise the intrigue of the game, and more deeply engage the passions of the supporters, Little Rock’s opponent tonight is none other than their now all-too-familiar Heartland Conference foe, the Tulsa Athletic.

Tulsa Athletic is the elder statesman on the pitch tonight. Formed in 2013, the Oklahoma-based club has forged a path and example of developing community identity, on-pitch performance, and match-day support equal to the likes of lower league, grassroots counterparts Detroit City FC and Chattanooga FC. Taking on the task of renovating an old minor league baseball stadium themselves, club staff and volunteers developed a pitch, stadium, and gameday experience that regularly drew over three thousand fans to every home game for the Athletic from 2013-2016. The club would reward their loyal fanbase following through those seasons, winning the then-South Central Conference outright in three of those four years. When the city of Tulsa then wrested away this grassroots-developed home ground in an ill fated attempt to develop a motocross park, the Athletic weathered the inconvenience. First, they found a temporary home pitch for 2017 in Fortuna Stadium. Then, ahead of the 2018 season, they developed a pitch at Veterans Park, adjacent to downtown Tulsa. This home ground would serve to become a literal Party in the Park for the Athletic, creating there a near unshakeable home-pitch advantage and helping sustain another qualification run to the 2018 NPSL postseason.

Tulsa was in its 4th season when the Little Rock Rangers were admitted to the league as an expansion side in 2016. Like Tulsa before them, the Rangers found immediate support from the local community and quickly ascended to the top of the lower league ranks in average attendance. Unlike Tulsa’s inaugural year on-pitch successes however, Little Rock struggled in its inductive conference campaign, losing their first six matches before righting their course late in the season and eventually falling shy of playoff qualification by a single point to fellow league newcomer Shreveport Rafters. Curious among the statistics of Little Rock’s freshman season losses: a pair of narrow 1-0 defeats to dominant conference champion Tulsa Athletic.

The commencement  of 2017 campaign found both the Athletic and the Rangers more focused on other rivals. FC Wichita was openly seeking to wrest the conference crown from Tulsa’s near stranglehold, while Little Rock contended with a newly formed, in-state little brother in Ozark FC. By the time the Athletic visited the Rangers at mid-season however, it had become clear that Little Rock was a legitimate title contender alongside Tulsa and Wichita, and a victory over the former would seat them ahead of both clubs. That victory wasn’t to be, as Tulsa eked out a 1-1 draw in the Rock City. Some stumbling in further results by each club found them facing off in a regular season finale in Tulsa. But now, FC Wichita had secured the conference title, but the winner here would still secure the #2 seed and host a playoff match. The loser would be #3 seed and have to play the visitor just four days later. In a high flying competition, Tulsa would emerge victorious over the Rangers, 3-2, in a match that was near statistically identical but for the single goal differential. Four days later, Little Rock would return to compete in its first playoff game in club history for another statistical battle with the Athletic, again falling by the difference of one goal. Little Rock was now winless against Tulsa in five matches, but were now earning recognition from the older club as a legitimate rival.If the late season results versus Tulsa had given the Rangers reason to be confident going into the 2018 season, then their opening result against Athletic in the new season temporarily dashed that reasoning.

Arriving for the season opener in Tulsa’s inaugural Party in the Park the day after Cinco de Mayo, the Rangers “curiously” dressed just 11 players, including a 4th string goalkeeper pressed into starting duties. The resulting Tulsa 6-1 dismantling of the Rangers seemed to indicate only one of the two clubs would be seeing the postseason. But Little Rock would proceed to pace Tulsa in the points race, reeling off 6 wins, including three straight clean sheet victories. While Wichita would hold a single point advantage for the regular season title over either of the clubs, Little Rock and Tulsa rolled into the final week of regular season play in a now too-familiar position: a head to head tilt to decide the #2 and #3 seeds in the Heartland Conference playoffs.However, this time the match was hosted in Little Rock, and while the Rangers still dragged the albatross of their 0-1-5 record vs the Athletic into the tilt, they did have the home field advantage.

Early in the match, Tulsa dominated in terms of both possession and created chances. By the end of the game, the Athletic would actually be able to count off six clear scoring opportunities in 1v1 situations with Little Rock’s goalkeeper, Walid Birrou, but came away empty. In the second half, Little Rock heightened the press, increasing their scoring chances but leaving themselves vulnerable to the Tulsa counter. The Athletic nearly struck on such an opportunity in 80th minute, but Birrou secured the low dipping strike and punted deep to Forward Alex Guadron, who struck home the opening goal of the match. Nine minutes later, Winger Donald Benamna scored for the Rangers, and Little Rock celebrated its first victory over the Athletic, secured hosting a playoff match for the first time in club history, and set a date for another 90 minutes on the dance card with Tulsa in just four days time, on Wednesday night, July 11th, 2018.

- Ryan Stallings