Clement Williams

A writer torn between journalism and social sciences and generally trying to figure everything out. Contributor for Midfield Press and operator of the soccer blog Reflections on the State of the World's Game. Soon to be a student at Davidson College, potentially pursuing an interdisciplinary major incorporating as many subjects as realistically feasible.

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Miami-based FC Kendall expanding beyond their Uruguayan roots

May 9, 2018 by Clement Williams

FC Kendall poses for a team photo after a 4-2 win over Nashville United in the 2018 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: FC Kendall

FC Kendall were founded as Uruguay Kendall FC in 2008 “to represent the Uruguayan roots of its founders and majority of its players in the local league of Kendall.”

They have since evolved into not only the preeminent football club in Kendall, Fla. but one of the top amateur sides in the Southeast. They have expanded both their focus and their player base beyond the Miami area’s Uruguayan community. As a result, the club changed their name to reflect this broader focus and status while respecting their proud roots, becoming FC Kendall last summer.

FC Kendall are an original member of the American Premier Soccer League (APSL), founded in 2015. The Florida league is a USASA-recognized Elite Amateur League boasting the membership of Boca Raton FC, burgeoning rival Red Force FC, and US Open Cup first-round opponent: Miami United FC, who field a team in both the National Premier Soccer League and the APSL.

Several clubs with sides in the APSL will be playing in the Open Cup this year but FC Kendall’s path was perhaps the most arduous. Despite handily dismissing their two Florida opponents in qualifying by a combined score of 15-0, Kendall were done no favors for their final Open Cup entrance examination.

The light blues would have to endure one of the longest trips of the qualifying tournament, all the way to Tennessee, to take on Nashville United. Furthermore, having flown out the morning before the game, the Floridians faced not only a venue change on account of bad weather, but also a tornado warning.

Club president Mauro Grignola labeled the game “the most important game in the club’s ten-year history” and their squad, featuring former professionals, were up to the task.

Both Argentine Gonzalo De Mujica and the experienced Uruguayan-born Martin Nunez plied their trade for the Strikers in the NASL and both were key to the victory in Nashville. With this veteran core supported by the likes of former FC Edmonton player Cristian Raudales, Ex-FIU captain Daniel Gonzalez, and prolific attacker Santiago Schmid, FC Kendall should not be taken lightly by their Open Cup opposition.

Geographically sandwiched between the footballing powerhouses of Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay has forged its own rich history on the global stage. With two world cup victories, only Brazil, Germany, and Italy have won more world titles than this plucky footballing nation of just under four million people. So FC Kendall, who don the colors of the national team, will surely be hoping to channel this Uruguayan spirit of cup success in their first ever US Open Cup appearance.

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Pete Caringi of Christos FC spaces out hat trick to earn TheCup.us Player of the Round

May 16, 2017 by Clement Williams

On the surface, a 3-0 scoreline featuring goals from a former MLS draftee doesn’t seem particularly unusual, particularly in a match against a fourth tier NPSL side. However, in the case of Pete Caringi III’s emphatic hat trick for Maryland amateur side Christos FC, such a result represents a rather eye-catching development.

The former University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) standout’s conspicuous three-goal performance lifted the Open Cup debutants to a convincing road victory over a solid NPSL outfit, Fredericksburg FC, in what was the sole hat trick of the round and only the 52nd in the Modern Era. What was especially rare about the hat trick was that Caringi becomes just the second player from a USASA regional team to score three in a game (Argient Duka, Icon FC vs. Brooklyn Italians of NPSL in 2013 First Round). In a much more obscure bit of history, Caringi’s three goals had the biggest gap of time in between each goal of any hat trick in the Modern Era.

For his performance, Caringi was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the First Round. The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Pete Caringi is a dangerous in the air for Christos FC. Photo: Christos FC

Opening the score early and lifting amateur Christos to an early lead, Caringi’s fourth minute goal set in motion an auspicious match for the Baltimore-based side. After settling in and holding the determined Virginians scoreless for the remainder of the first half, Christos would bag an additional goal in the early part of the second. It was none other than the big man, Caringi, who added to his account with a convincing header off a gorgeous set-piece delivery from Mamadou Kansaye. Finally, with Christos having staved off fierce charges from a tenacious Fredericksburg side, Caringi completed his hat trick in the 87th minute with a clinical chip from just outside the 18.

In this stellar performance, hat trick hero demonstrated an incredible pedigree vastly exceeding that of a typical Sunday league 24-year old. His relatively brief but eventful career began with renowned youth soccer club Baltimore Bays. Thereafter, he continued his Baltimore playing career with UMBC, playing under his father, Coach Pete Caringi II. As a Retriever, Caringi III not only picked up All-American honors, but was also a semifinalist for the NCAA’s prestigious Hermann Trophy, the first in school history.

Pete Caringi of Christos FC gets his head on a ball against Junior Lone Star FC. Photo: Christos FC

Outside of a phenomenal college career, Caringi plied his trade for the PDL’s Baltimore Bohemians between 2012 and 2013 before a selection by Montreal Impact in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. However, Caringi was left unsigned by the Impact and eventually signed for the Oklahoma City Energy. After 11 appearances and a single goal, he returned to his old stomping grounds to serve as an assistant coach for his alma mater, continuing his playing career all the while under the tutelage of his former youth club coaches with Christos FC.

Beyond his clinical ability in front of the goal, Caringi plays a critical role in the Christos team.

“Petey comes back into the mix a bit and will do all the dirty work,” said general manager and club founder Jody Haislip. “He wins most, if not all, of the 50-50 balls and that creates offense for us when he does play a bit further back in the attack.”

Clearly in both of his goal scoring prowess and general offensive contributions, Caringi plays an incredibly important role for his team, and demonstrated as much as an essential component in leading the Maryland boys to a first round upset.

In Round 1, Caringi demonstrated the prolific attacking ability that won him numerous honors throughout his collegiate career and carried him to the pros. If he can replicate that same quality next round against USL staples Richmond Kickers, Caringi’s longtime Baltimore playing career may be prolonged but more likely with a pro team looking for a two-way forward.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: After 20 years, amateur power Christos FC makes US Open Cup debut

May 4, 2017 by Clement Williams

Christos FC: Maryland's 2017 Rowland Cup champions — Christos FC: Maryland’s 2017 Rowland Cup champions

It’s been a long time coming but finally Christos FC, the reigning Werner Fricker Open Cup and USASA Amateur Cup champions, have qualified for the US Open Cup proper.

Established in 1997, Christos FC have waited 20 years for a chance at the Lamar Hunt trophy. After first and second qualifying round triumphs over Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks and West Chester United as well as a third qualifying round cancellation, the Baltimore squad has reached the promised land of American amateur soccer.

“Qualifying was a huge accomplishment and definitely something we had been striving for in recent years,” said founder and general manager Jody Haislip. “To have the opportunity to play against professional teams and play in such a prestigious cup is everything that we have been working towards.”

If the US Open Cup represents the zenith of amateur soccer opportunity, then surely Christos FC had already scaled the majority of American soccer’s metaphorical mountain. Beyond the Open Cup, Christos have experienced significant success throughout virtually every other area of American amateur soccer. Last year the Latrobe Park outfit won both the Region 1 Amateur Cup and the USASA Amateur Cup. In the last five years the Marylanders have won five national titles spanning several national competitions. Yet, once again despite this previous success, this season represents their first foray into US soccer’s most prestigious competition available to amateur clubs.

If success for Christos FC’s on the national level is customary then state success is expected, assumed, and essentially assured. Despite a strong Maryland soccer scene, Christos have long dominated, winning back-to-back state cup trebles. This treble included Maryland Rowland Cup (open), the Maryland Stewart Cup (amateur), and the Maryland Over-30 Cup 2016-2017 titles. Surely, the Maryland Major League side will hope this cup-based dominance carries over into yet another cup.

Christos FC: Maryland's 2017 Stewart Cup champions — Christos FC: Maryland’s 2017 Stewart Cup champions

“Winning the Open and Amateur Cups last year was at the time the biggest achievement/success for the club but yes to play in the Lamar Hunt Cup will certainly top that,” Haslip said. “To win a few games would be icing on the cake.”

The squad’s leading scorer the past few years is Petey Caringi III, a University of Maryland, Baltimore County All American player from 2013 who was drafted by MLS side Montreal Impact in 2014 and later signed by Oklahoma City Energy. Winger Levi Houapeu, also a UMBC alumni, won the Division I scoring title in 2009 and was drafted by the Philadelphia Union in 2011. Houapeu had a serious knee injury which cut his first season short. He also played with the Rochester Rhinos and Baltimore Blast.

Goalkeeper Phil Saunders, also a UMBC alumni, played professionally in Iceland for Bl Bolungarvik in Iceland’s First Division in 2014 while Central Midfielder Kaoru Forbess is a former University of Maryland player who helped the Terrapins win the 2008 National Championship. Forbess is also a former U-18 US National Team player and played professionally for the Baltimore Blast.

Haislip said that veteran centerback Josh Taylor is a Loyola University graduate and is in the perfect spot in the back to lead the defense.

“The odds are definitely against us,” Haislip said. “We are an amateur team with guys who have full-time jobs and — sad to say this but — we don’t train or practice. guys do things individually but nothing as a group.

He feels that if Christos plays its best game and believes, it could make a run.

“I’m sure we will be underestimated a little and I hope with that our desire and hunger to win is more than the other teams,” he said. “This group of guys have only lost one game in almost two years. I’d like to think the guys hate to lose more than they love to win. I’m all about this club winning because I can’t stand losing. In everything we do as a club we want to finish first. That means we hopefully have a lot of LHUSOC games ahead of us.”

Having previously been perilously close to qualification, only now have Christos achieved that important step towards the notoriety that Brooklyn Italians, Chicago A.A.C, Harpos FC and others previously garnered through the competition. Having started the season 20-0-0 before falling in the USASA National Amateur Cup quarterfinals to Rochester Riverdogz, Christos will be looking for a strong showing in the competition, not just to demonstrate that they belong but also to try and match the accomplishments of last year’s strong season. With their spot in the Hank Steinbrecher Cup this summer also secured, a scalp or two in the Open Cup would not only turn a few heads but also let Christos forget the disappointment of their Amateur Cup result and finish the year with their own heads held high.

With a First Round fixture against NPSL side Fredericksburg FC and a top ten USL side in attendance in Richmond waiting in the second round, the boys from the Charm City may be the latest amateur darlings to embody the magic of the cup and stage a cup run for the history books.