With only a few exceptions, expansion teams always take time to get off the ground. Atlanta FC of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) appears to be one of those exceptions. In only their second year of existance, they have punched their ticket to the 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and will face the USL First Division’s Charleston Battery in the First Round at Blackbaud Stadium on June 9.
Last year, they fell one point short of winning their group in the USASA Region III tournament, which would have earned them a spot in the Open Cup. This year, they left little to chance, winning all three group games, while only allowing one goal.
The team was formed in 2007 when current head coach Ricardo Montoya and director of operations Jason Longshore were working together through the program Soccer In The Streets in Atlanta. The duo organized an under-23 team called Lawrenceville FC to compete in the 2007 Region III tournament and not only did they become the second team from Georgia to ever win the event, but they moved on to finish as the national runner-up, falling to a team from Oregon in the final.
The year after, in their debut season in the NPSL, they won the Southeast Division championship, only to fall in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“Ricardo and I have a shared passion for the game and playing it the right way,” said Longshore, who previously had worked with the now-defunct Atlanta Ruckus in the mid-1990s. “We both get frustrated with teams who come out playing not to lose and we wanted to bring a team to Atlanta that played an exciting, attacking style.”
An additional challenge of the club in the first two years is the fact that Montoya coaches a team that features players representing 14 different countries. He has been coaching in the local Atlanta Latino leagues for a number of years.
“Ricardo is a guy that you will see at the next level someday soon,” said Longshore. “The way he can bring together a team with so many different backgrounds really amazes me.”
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REMATCH? |
The roster is made up of, like many amateur clubs at this level, a mix of former professionals, college players and local talent. Ramiro Canovas from Argentina, an All-Conference player from Mercer University, was the club’s top scorer last year. Englishman Paul Buckley was an NAIA All-American and spent time with the short-lived Syracuse Salty Dogs franchise in the A-League. Another player with professional experience is Robert Munilla who suited up for Racing and Wanderers of Uruguay’s top league, the Primera División.
Some of the up and coming youngsters on the team include Georgia State standout Lalo Liza from Peru, 18-year old Junior Sandoval from Honduras, 20-year old Julio Anzueto from Guatemala, and 17-year old American Matias Montalbetti. The leading scorer thus far in 2009 is 21-year old Leo Sanchez (Mexico/US) who has seven goals to his credit.
With a fearless, attacking style of soccer, the club is confident that they can give the Charleston Battery a run for their money in the First Round.
“We’re not afraid going into the match,” said Longshore, who says the team has been using USLLive.com extensively to familiarize themselves with the Battery. “This is an opportunity that our players and staff have been working so hard for every night at practice. For our young players, it’s a chance to get noticed. For our veterans, it’s a chance to show that they can play at any level. For our club, it’s a chance to make a name for ourselves.”