Meet the Underdogs

2017 Meet the Underdogs: LA Wolves hoping investment pays off with addition of head coach Eric Wynalda

May 10, 2017 by Zach Smith

The LA Wolves wanted to get on the map when they participated in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time last season. Fast forward to now, the young club is hoping to turn some heads in this year’s tournament and has a new leader with some experience of doing just that.

The Wolves, under the new direction of head coach Eric Wynalda, are in the Open Cup for the second straight year and take on the San Diego Zest in the first round Wednesday night at Azusa Pacific University.

“I can comfortably tell you that we are better than we were last year because we’ve invested more into the program,” said Wolves president and GM Yan Skwara. “Eric was handed a pretty good team already, but as a coach who’s gunning for more, he saw holes that needed to be patched up. Now the guys just have to do it. I know they’re up to the challenge.”

To say Wynalda is experienced is a gross understatement. The US Soccer Hall of Famer played in the Bundesliga and scored 106 goals at the international level. His name has been floated around for an MLS coaching job for years, but his most recent coaching stop was in 2014 with the Atlanta Silverbacks when they were a part of the NASL.

His most famous run as a head coach came in the Open Cup with Cal FC, who beat the Portland Timbers in the third round, becoming the first amateur team to score against and advance via a victory in 2012.

“That’s what he’s here to do again and the players understand that,” Skwara said. “He’s brought a lot to the table with his experience. He’s very professional and he has come in here and he’s put some good focus into what we’re about to face.”

The Wolves have been dominant in the regular season the last two years, finishing atop the table in each of the seasons, but falling short in the playoffs. This season, they sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 21 points, six points behind first place with two games in hand and have allowed a conference-best eight goals this season.

Much of the roster from last year has returned, including former LA Galaxy and Chivas USA winger Paolo Cardozo, who wasn’t eligible to play last year’s Open Cup because he was cup-tied.

Miguel Sanchez and Chuck Pitts have another year of playing together up to and Skwara said the team shored up the midfield compared to last season. They also added a veteran MLS defender as Chris Klute joined this season.

“We’re playing a lot more rounded than last year,” Skwara said. “We’ve got a good core group of existing players along with the new players that have really bonded over the last few months. The screws have been tightened. We have some high expectations, but we don’t them to be too high.”

LA qualified for this year’s Open Cup thanks to a 4-1 win against the Real Sociedad Royals in September and then dominated Inland Empire FC 9-2 in October to earn a spot in the tournament for the second year in a row.

They had a successful run the Open Cup last year. After moving through the first round against the Ventura County Fusion via forfeit, they beat USL Pro side OC Blues on PKs in Round 2 before falling to fellow UPSL squad La Maquina in Round 3.

“We’re playing a lot more rounded than last year,” Skwara said. “We’re here for the long haul and we’re here for the future. The screws have been tightened. We have some high expectations, but we don’t them to be too high.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: After last year’s US Open Cup run, La Maquina ready to go “toe-to-toe” with anyone

May 10, 2017 by Ian Foster

Edwin Borboa of La Maquina celebrates his goal against the LA Galaxy in the Fourth Round of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: LA Galaxy

In other sports, we often wonder aloud if the best college football team could beat the Cleveland Browns, or if the University of Kentucky could upset the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. In soccer, thanks to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, we get to openly ask and answer that question.

And for 90 minutes last June, we nearly answered in the affirmative as La Maquina, an amateur team out of Santa Ana, Calif., took the mighty Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer to the brink.

“Alex , our owner was encouraged,” said La Maquina coach Edson Martinez. “’You went toe-to-toe with the Galaxy,’ he said, ‘if you can do that you can go toe-to-toe with anyone.’”

Of course, the Galaxy infamously found the winning goal in extra time on a broken play where most players thought the referee had stopped play. The controversial goal opened the floodgate and the Galaxy prevailed 4-1. That goal led to an unsuccessful protest by La Maquina.

So how did that affect La Maquina as they approach their First Round US Open Cup match away to the PDL’s Fresno Fuego on Wednesday night?

“Everyone’s on the same page,” said Martinez about their approach to this season. “The main focus is to practice, play in the league that we play for, and play the US Open Cup.”

As a result, the ambitious Southern Californian club has passed up a local competition or two to stay healthy and rested for the Open Cup.

“There was just a big tournament here in South California that was big locally but we didn’t enter because we didn’t want our players to get hurt,” Martinez said.

La Maquina is currently near the top of the UPSL standings, but the Cup has had an impact on that too. They fielded a mostly reserve squad on Saturday against Sporting San Fernando and lost 4-1.

But the team is ready, and thanks to the year-round schedule of UPSL plus the various California cups, La Maquina comes into their first round match at mid-season form.

“Last year we weren’t really practicing until we started the US Open Cup. We’ve been practicing since November now,” said Martinez. “I think that’s going to be the big difference this year.”

While the roster is mostly composed of players just coming out of college, like identical twin midfielders Jose and Orlando Casteo, they’ve sprinkled in a few former Liga MX veterans. Most notably Edwin Borboa, the striker who’s played for Chivas, Pachuca, and Leon in his career. Borboa had a breakout Open Cup last year as he tied for the tournament lead in goals with five. In fact, in one tournament, Borboa is now tied for the Modern Era lead for most goals by a player from any USASA amateur club.

“We’ve played nine games, Borboa’s already scored 19 or 20 goals,” Martinez said. “And I know for a fact he’s in better shape this year than last year, he’s been working hard.”

La Maquina (left) vs. LA Wolves in the Third Round of 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Walsh

It would be difficult for Borboa to surpass his 2016 Open Cup, where he scored at least one goal in every game, tying the Modern Era record by scoring in four consecutive games. If he scores on Wednesday night, he will break that record.

Not that Borboa or the rest of La Maquina gets fazed by the notion of playing someone like the Galaxy.

“You always need those players that have actually been there at a professional level playing against famous teams,” Martinez said.

At the heart of almost every major “Cupset” is a past or future pro like Borboa or Jose Montes de Oca, a young player from Leon in Liga MX. The Open Cup is a prime opportunity for him to be seen by USL and MLS teams.

But La Maquina don’t want to be stepping stones to the pros forever. Someday, Martinez mentioned, La Maquina, perhaps alongside their competitive league-mates LA Wolves, would like to ply their trade in the USL. With the new Division 3 league in the works, that could be a realstic next step with the club’s local fan support.

And what better way to make their case than another deep Open Cup run?

“We’re usually the underdog,” Martinez said, “but we know for a fact that we have a really good team and a really good system. We have players that play with their hearts.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Azteca FC, the latest amateur power from Colorado ready to represent in US Open Cup

May 10, 2017 by Robert Wilson

Denver, Colorado-based Azteca FC will make their US Open Cup debut in 2017 with a midweek road trip to Wichita, Kansas.

Azteca FC is owned and managed by Andy De La Rosa who also runs a successful construction company which sponsors the team. Over the years, the club has been a regular fixture of the Colorado Amateur Soccer League (CASL), which was recently re-branded as the Colorado Premier League (CPL). However, it was not until watching local rivals Harpo’s FC embark on back-to-back US Open Cup upset runs that the local competition heated up.

Back-to-back upsets over defending title holders FC Denver and league champions Harpo’s earned Azteca FC the 2016 Colorado State Cup and opened the door to qualify for the 2017 Open Cup. The Cup final was a scrappy battle with multiple ejections on both sides resulting in Azteca’s first ever State Cup trophy as well as fueling a burgeoning rivalry. Two months later US Soccer paired the two clubs together once again in a single game qualifier for a spot in the Open Cup and once again Azteca came from behind to upset Harpo’s 2-1 qualifying Azteca FC for the 2017 US Open Cup.

Since dethroning Colorado’s most notable U.S. Open Cup participant in years past; Azteca FC has changed their look and increased their status in the local soccer scene. Over the winter the club was a key organizer of the newly formed UPSL Colorado Division however opted to remain with the rebranded Colorado Premier League. Azteca FC also rebranded themselves with a new team badge that combines their Mexican-American pride with the Colorado flag.

Through all the changes the core of Azteca FC remains the same. Head coach and owner Andy De La Rosa’s team has always built his teams picking the top players from the Denver area Hispanic, mostly Mexican-American, Sunday leagues. As De La Rosa’s business and team grows he has expanded his recruiting efforts both in the Denver area and on both sides of the Mexican-American border across the southwest. Looking across the roster a healthy mix of youth and veteran players will be looking to this Open Cup opportunity as their shot to play at their highest level while a few key players, including ex-Chivas Guadalajara winger Omar Ledesma and ex-Club America center back Alfredo Duran, will be using this opportunity to recapture the spotlight and possibly make a move back into professional soccer.

This year is no different for the Azteca player pool. Over the offseason most of their players stayed with the team in their indoor sessions while others traveled back to Mexico and Texas to visit their families or play in other leagues. As the spring CPL season progresses their team is re-unifying just in time for the all important Open Cup match in Kansas.

The most notable return is winger Omar Ledesma who returned from his indoor team in El Paso, Texas in mid April. Ledesma’s impact on the team is undeniable; in his first game back the ex-Chivas Guadalajara winger electrified the Azteca offense that was previously in the lower half of the league in goals scored to a 5-3 league victory. Playing off center forward Robert Aguilar the Azteca offense can be characterized by their ability to disrupt the rhythm of their opponent’s backline and capitalize on whatever opportunity they produce.

Looking forward to representing the Centennial State and Colorado Premier League along with Rush FC Azteca FC manager Andy de la Rosa and captain Armando Chavira are having no issues fielding their strongest team for the U.S. Open Cup.

”It is hard for a lot of guys to take three days off work and make that seven-hour drive on a Tuesday, practice on Wednesday morning, play Wednesday night and turn around back to Denver the next day,” said Chavira. “But everyone is committed, the whole squad is ready to go … everyone is ready to represent for our state and our league”

Wichita FC hosts Azteca FC Wednesday May 10th 7:00 PM (CT) at the Stryker Soccer Park in Wichita, Kansas.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: FC Motown went from coed team to US Open Cup in four years

May 8, 2017 by Craig Tower

FC Motown pose for a team photo before a match against Lansdowne Bhoys on Oct. 17, 2016. Photo: FC Motown

In four short years, New Jersey’s FC Motown went from co-ed team to a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The New Jersey club’s meteoric rise began in 2012 and its success has been a surprise. Even to themselves.

Even FC Motown co-founders Scott Kindzierski and Dan Karosen didn’t imagine this when they started the team in Morristown, N.J., the town where they both went to high school.

“The two of us are real competitive guys, having played collegiately, and we wanted to put a team together and have control over and just see what we could do,” said Kindzierski. “The vision at the time was just to get guys who played in college and give them an avenue to play soccer after their college careers had ended.”

The team proved to be successful, making a deep run in the 2016 USASA Cup, but they followed a somewhat unorthodox path. Forget the images of players training long, lonely hours together long after dark.

“At the time we weren’t having trainings, we just showed up on game day,” said Kindzierski.

Things changed during that run and after the season.

“We took the approach that training was gonna be an integral part not only of the success of our team but the success of the players so they can be ready when their numbers are called,” said Kindzierski. “It’s really payed dividends this year and we’ve taken it to another level, and we’ve allowed guys to be ready and get signed to USL contracts. Now we’re playing 3-4 nights a week.”

The team has higher ambitions now.

“We are in negotiations to take over a smaller youth club of about 10 teams,” said Kindzierski. “We want to try to team up with a MLS team to be a feeder system for them and be in the USL or affiliated with a USL club. We have some good connections with New York City FC. is something that they don’t have right now, so we brought that to the table, but it’s something that we envision.”

That ambition and effort has paid off in their USOC qualifying run, which was not without wrinkles, like a rare no-show by the four-time US Open Cup champion Greek American SC from New York City’s Cosmopolitan League.

“ had 3-4 players show up the day of the game and I got a call 15 minutes before game time saying they weren’t gonna have enough guys show up for the game,” said Kindzierski. “I think they were having problems with their roster but it’s such a great tradition with that team. They’ve won it before.”

That forfeit did little to prepare FC Motown for their next challenge, against the Landsdowne Bhoys, also in the Cosmopolitan League.

“It’s a New York – New Jersey rivalry first of all. And the Cosmopolitan league is a very physical league,” said Kindzierski. “We’re more of a finesse type of team with a lot of Latin and South American players.”

A quick start put FC Motown ahead 2-0, but that didn’t last as the Bhoys broke the shutout before the end of the first half. With about two minutes to go, the Bhoys converted a penalty kick to tie the score.

“It was pretty deflating for our guys, and if it had gone into overtime I don’t think we would have won it. But we had a set piece with about a minute into extra time, and we scored. Literally right after they kicked off again, the whistle blew. They didn’t expect that, especially after their big run last year.”

Kindzierski attributes a big part of their success to their coach, Sacir Hot, a former New York Red Bulls and US youth international who joined FC Motown as a player-coach.

“That was the hardest thing at first,” said Kindzierski. “He didn’t want to go the pro route anymore. He was the third homegrown player for the Red Bulls, played on the first team, trained on Borussia Dortmund, so he has a really high pedigree. So he started coaching for us as a player manager and he said it was just too hard to coach and play at the same time, so he decided to give up his playing career and coach full time.”

Hot brought with him not only a professional mindset, but an impressive Rolodex.

“He’s gotten us some very good players as well because he’s really hooked into the soccer world,” said Kindzierski. “It’s been a who’s who of players who’ve come to trainings – we’ve had Mehdi Bellouchy, Giuseppe Rossi came and trained with us when he was home, Matt Miazga, so it’s a who’s who.”

The team has already produced professional players from its ranks, like Cristiano Francois, who signed with D.C. United in 2014 and now plays with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL.

“Cristiano Francois has a great pedigree. He has one of the highest workrates I’ve ever seen. He played on the Haitian National team, he played in the CONCACAF Cup last year.”

The team still has talent without Francois.

“Marcus Hackett is probably our most dynamic player. He used to play football and could have gone to Division I if he was a little bit bigger,” said Kindzierski. “He’s probably our best athlete. He went to William Patterson and was the player of the year there, he was an All-American there for four years.

“We have another dynamic player, Andres Barriel, he’s a difference maker who can give a USL team trouble with his style of play. He’s a very unique player. He’s got a lot of speed and he’s a magician on the ball.”

The team enters US Open Cup play red hot in the Garden State Soccer League. The Celtics are currently 12-0 heading into Wednesday’s match against New Jersey Copa FC (NPSL).

What does Kindzierski expect from his club in its Open Cup debut?

“We’ve got a good chance. We started training in January. I think we’ll be training as much as USL teams. I think we’re as talented as any USL team out there, it’s just a matter of executing our game plan and scoring our goals. But we have a fighting chance against all of them and hopefully it’ll be our day.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: San Francisco’s El Farolito returns for first time since winning 1993 US Open Cup title

May 8, 2017 by Thomas Hodul

El Farolito, then known as CD Mexico, won the 1993 US Open Cup championship.

This story is used with permission from The Midfield Press

The first round of the US Open Cup will take place on May 10th with multiple matches pitting top amateur soccer clubs from around the country against each other. The only amateur side that has previously won this competition that will be participating in this year’s first round is El Farolito. A San Francisco-based amateur soccer club, El Farolito won the historic US Open Cup in 1993 when at the time they were called Club Deportivo (CD) Mexico.

The club was founded by Salvador Lopez, the owner of Taqueria El Farolito, one of the most famous Mexican food spots in San Francisco if not all of California. With the prime location directly outside of the 24th Street/Mission BART Stop, El Farolito is distinguished for being one of the originators of the San Francisco Mission-style burrito. Just next door to the restaurant is El Farolito Bar where I was able to meet with Head Coach, General Manager, do-everything-for-the-Club, Santiago Lopez, to talk about the history of the Club and the upcoming tournament. The bar is where all of the Club’s trophies and memorabilia are kept. Even the 1993 Open Cup trophy sits on a shelf at the bar.

Since its founding in 1985, the club has played in the historic San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL). Salvador Lopez founded the Club because he had “always been a fan of soccer and wanting to compete,” said head coach Santiago Lopez.

They won consecutive promotions immediately to the SFSFL Premier Division, the top tier of the League. The SFSFL is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and even the world, playing league matches in the heart of SF since 1902.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, every team is going to show up and play hard,” said Lopez.

The league features its own three-tiered promotion-relegation system as well as some of the same clubs that have played in the league since the 1910s. The Olympic Club is the oldest current club in the SFSFL, having joined the League in 1916. It is perhaps El Farolito’s biggest current rivals.

The trophy from the 1993 US Open Cup, won by CD Mexico (El Farolito)

“They have so much experience. The players are so committed to the Club, the tradition, that the whole club is amazing. Everything that the Olympic Club represents is prestige and tradition,” said the El Farolito head coach. The Olympic Club is the defending SFSFL champion, having topped El Farolito who finished second last year in the league.

El Farolito is not the only club from the SFSFL to have won the US Open Cup. The league was the home of two-time Open Cup champions in 1985 and 1994, the San Francisco Greek-American Athletic Club. The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club won in 1976. Following the 1985 win for the Greek-Americans, their head coach, Lothar Osander, became the head coach of the US National Team, a position he held from 1986-1988. He also won the Cup with them in 1994. This means that in 1993 and 1994, the SFSFL won back-to-back Open Cups. This followed the San Jose Oaks win in 1992, making the Bay Area one of the most dominant soccer hubs in the pre-MLS era.

“The 90s was the most amazing decade for Bay Area soccer,” said Lopez. “You had the Greek-Americans, you had El Farolito, you had the San Francisco Seals .”

The 1993 El Farolito Open Cup run included some big wins over top amateur sides of the day. They beat the defending Open Cup champions, the San Jose Oaks, in regional qualifying with a 1-0 win. They then won their regional final against Exiles SC (Manhattan Beach, Calif.).

In the Semifinals, they beat the Bavarian SC (Milwaukee), a club that remains active today in the Premier League of America, and is a four-time National Amateur Cup winner. In the match with the Bavarians, El Farolito was reduced to nine men, but managed to force the game to overtime. Jose Angulo scored the lone goal for El Farolito in regulation, and then went on to score twice more in overtime to complete his hat trick and send El Farolito to the final.

They then were pitted against the amateur power, the United German-Hungarians (Philadelphia area), in the final Cup match at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The match was on national television on a tape delay. The United German-Hungarians were a club founded in 1910 that went into the 1993 Open Cup final with more history and experience than El Farolito. While El Farolito was able to reach the 1991 National Amateur Cup final, the German-Hungarians had already been to four Amateur Cup finals, including winning in 1965. They also appeared in the Open Cup final in 1977, a game in which they lost to five-time Open Cup winners, Maccabee AC (Los Angeles).

There was quite a number of talented players in the 1993 Open Cup squad for El Farolito. First there was striker Jose Angulo, a Columbian international. He was considered the heartbeat of the team. His biggest contribution was his hat trick in the semifinals. In addition, the team had two different multiple goal scorers in the final. Both Samuel Cid Del Prado and finals MVP Elias Fonseca found the back of the net twice that day as El Farolito won 5-0.

The Open Cup win became the true establishment of the Club’s winning tradition. They also won the SFSFL that year to complete the double and establish themselves as a force within the League. The club did hit some hard times about seven years ago when they found themselves on the verge of relegation. That is when current head coach Santiago Lopez took over. It was bad enough that in his first game in charge he had to play himself. However, he was able to salvage a 4th place finish in what would be his lowest finish in the league as coach to date. El Farolito last won the league in 2015 under Lopez.

The roster for the 1993 US Open Cup champion CD Mexico (El Farolito)

To qualify for this year’s Open Cup 1st round, El Farolito thought they would have to win four or five games in qualifying rounds. However, it turned out to be only two matches. In the first qualifying round back on September 17th, El Farolito topped the Davis Legacy at home, scoring twice within 10 minutes before holding on for a 2-1 victory.

In the second qualifying round, they traveled to Lake Forest, Calif. to face Strikers FC South Coast. El Farolito saw two red cards go against them in the match within 30 minutes, reminiscent of the 1993 semifinal. However, El Farolito took a 2-0 lead while reduced to nine men, before winning the match 2-1 to reach the first round proper of the Cup.

“We just played two lines of four” to see the game out, said Lopez.

They currently sit on top of the SFSFL table on goal differential through 6 games.

One of their top players on the Open Cup roster from last season, Dylan Autran, recently signed a pro contract in the Finnish second tier, so he will be unavailable for this match. Some of the top players to look out for in the upcoming match begin with the most local product, Emanuel Caldera. Caldera was born in Nicaragua but grew up in the San Francisco Mission District just a few blocks from the El Farolito Restaurant.

The current captain for the club is the goalkeeper, Jorge Rosales from Redwood City, Calif.

The most versatile player is Alex Lopez. Coach Lopez says that he can play anywhere on the field, including at the back or as a winger.

“You can put him at a 90,000 seat stadium or at Boxer Stadium and you’re going to get the same whole-hearted attitude.”

Gabe Silveira, a player who is currently playing for El Farolito and is on their roster for the current season, but last year played for the Burlingame Dragons.

“He still doesn’t know if he’s going to play with the Dragons against us,” said Lopez at the time of the interview. Since he hasn’t played for either side yet in this year’s Cup, he would be eligible to play for either team.

El Farolito will welcome local PDL side and San Jose Earthquakes affiliate, the Burlingame Dragons, to their home at the historic Boxer Stadium. Boxer Stadium is home to most SFSFL matches and is named after former SFSFL president, Matthew Boxer. The stadium is located just off of the Balboa Bart Stop in San Francisco.

“It’s a tough field,” said Lopez, when asked if Boxer Stadium would give his club a home field advantage. “You can play any field and anything can go wrong. It can go bad. Soccer has to do with a little bit of luck. Preparation will increase the luck, but at the end of the day anything can happen.”

Lopez said that he likes the draw with the Burlingame Dragons.

“It’s going to be entertaining. Both clubs don’t know each other,” said Lopez. “We have more games in preparation than them, but there are no games that we can go to and watch them play and scout them.”

However, he did recognize what Burlingame represents.

“We know the Dragons are going to be an extremely tough team, because they know how to play soccer. Maybe they haven’t worked together, but truly they have quality players,” said Lopez. “The Dragons are doing something extremely right and they are sending players to MLS, defenders that are debuting and scoring in their first MLS game. That’s amazing. We know we are up against a tough machine.”

He then went on to talk about his opposing head coach in this match for the Dragons, the newly-hired former MLS goalie, Joe Cannon.

“Goalkeepers to me are extremely good readers of the game. I know he’s well-prepared, definitely more prepared than me, no doubt.”

The winner of the game will play the San Francisco Deltas of the NASL in Round 2. When asked about potentially playing the Deltas, Lopez said, “We can’t think about that game right now. I do think about it because of the possibilities and what might be the test ahead of us, but you can’t. First is the Dragons, and I think they are the same level as the Deltas.”

He has great respect for the new San Francisco pro side as well.

“There’s support from the City, there’s a great coaching staff, they are doing things extremely right and that reflects on the team. A lot of the players you can tell they work their ass off.”

He has really enjoyed watching the Deltas so far this season. “Number 10 (Kyle Bekker) is very active. I think he is the best one there. He’s extremely good, and the left back (Kenny Teijsse) doesn’t get the ball enough. I really don’t know why he doesn’t get the ball. They play through the right side a lot.” He went on to add that “Jackson is super quick and #25 (Danny Cruz) and #9 (Hienemann) all work so hard” up front. He also mentioned that he “like(s) having the Deltas in town.”

We then discussed what he felt were the expectations and goals for El Farolito in the Open Cup this year.

“We expect the players to give 100%, because they know the commitment that the club has with them,” said Lopez.

He went on to say that the pressure is on them, because “we are up against teams that know the history of the club, so we expect them to work hard and represent the franchise and what it is. You know, we are not a big club, 1983 is not a long time. There are clubs in our league that have way longer history than us.”

As for El Farolito going forward, “My dream would be to put El Farolito back onto the national stage, like they were once before in the 90s, and have the team acknowledged like fuck we are up against El Farolito. We are up against lions. We are up against a strong team.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Moreno Valley FC taking SoCal by storm, now the US Open Cup is next

May 8, 2017 by Omar Avalos

Since launching in 2015, Moreno Valley FC has become one of the best amateur teams in California. Photo: Moreno Valley FC

Moreno Valley, Calif. is a city in Riverside County, in the Greater Los Angeles area. The city is located adjacent to the City of Riverside, the county seat.

Moreno Valley FC is the defending USASA Region IV champion, which means that they’re the best California team outside of the USSF professional leagues, and are likely one of the best amateur teams in all of Region IV.

MVFC was formed in 2015 and took the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) by storm in their season debut, finishing first in their conference. The club was picked by the UPSL to represent the league at the Cal South State Cup, which is a qualifying tournament to the USASA Region IV Championship, which the club won.

“I decided to start a competitive team that would represent the city of Moreno Valley,” said owner Will Vicente. “I thank God for our players our fans and all of our supporters for all the support and dedication in this project so far. I hope that my dream would some day come true to have a professional soccer club in this part of the country.

With the Region IV tile under their belt, the club went on to compete for the USASA National Cup, where they fell to the eventual champion, Christos FC of Maryland. Moreno Valley finished fourth in the National Cup, after falling to Legends FC of North Texas, 2-1.

“Mo Val,” as the club is called, competes in the UPSL where they’re regularly tested by traditional regional powerhouses like La Máquina and Strikers South Coast, and who they’ve had success against, both in league and in this year’s Cal South State Cup title defense.

Moreno Valley FC won the USASA Region IV championship in its second year as a club. Photo: Moreno Valley FC.

The club recently defended their title successfully against second place UPSL club Santa Ana Winds FC, and they were set for a title defense against Eric Wynalda’s LA Wolves in the State Cup on May 7 but the game was postponed due to lightning.

MVFC standouts include their captain and ex-Cal Baptist University player, Carlos Figueroa, who led them to their Region IV title, and Brazilian national Jadilson Viera, who played for Tottenham and West Ham from ages 14-16, and for Italian club Varese from ages 17-21. He arrived at MVFC after a season playing for the NPSL’s Boston City.

Moreno Valley FC made their way to the first round of this year’s Open Cup by cruising through a pair of qualifiers against fellow UPSL clubs.

They blanked Ozzy’s Laguna, by a score of 6-0, with the mayor in attendance, Alex Anderson scored a pair of first half goals and it was smooth sailing from there. In the game that ended up being the clincher for the club’s first Open Cup berth, they beat High Desert Rush FC (part of the larger Rush Soccer organization), 5-1. Anderson scored two more and Jadilson Da Silva added a brace on a hot day in Victorville, Calif.

MVFC will make their US Open Cup debut in Round 1 against PDL power Ventura County Fusion on May 10.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Tartan Devils don’t have to win “pretty” to represent Pittsburgh in US Open Cup

May 7, 2017 by John Krysinsky

Tartan Devils Oak Avalon came about as a creation of two local soccer teams that were hoping to come together to field a more competitive team in a local open division league.

Three years after sitting around in a local pub to form this alliance, they have become a local juggernaut in the Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League (GPSL), and they’re now preparing to take part in the oldest cup competition in United States soccer – Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Tartan Devil Oak Avalon will travel to the Greater Louisville metro area on Wednesday, May 10 to take on Premier Development League (PDL) side Derby City Rovers in the first round of the 104th edition of the US Open Cup.

Members of Tartan Devils Oak Avalon club never fathomed that this opportunity would come their way, but they are certain of one thing, they are proud of where they come from — and play in a way that is emblematic of Western Pennsylvania’s blue collar roots.

“We’re hard nosed. We’ll run straight through you,” said E.J. McCormick, vice captain of Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (TDOA).

The Tartan Devils celebrate their second goal against Aromas Cafe FC in the second round of the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Tartan Devils Oak Avalon

“You can do all the fancy stuff. We’re going to take it and then we’re going to score — and you’re going to lose. That’s our style. It doesn’t have to be pretty — but we really are a ‘Pittsburgh’ soccer team,” added McCormick.

This no frills approach has been a formula for success for a group of players made up entirely of former local college standouts at schools like Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris, California, Geneva, Penn State and Seton Hill among others.

In 2015, they got their first taste of the US Open Cup qualifying competition, losing to Virginia-based club Aromas Cafe, 3-1.

That first experience, driving all the way to Virginia, and having only 14 players, and having a couple injured early in the match, was tough,” said club president John Battersby. “But now, we have a different attitude, everyone’s really commitment and excited about this opportunity that’s now in front of them.”

This past October, they finally broke through.

This time, Tartan Devils Oak Avalon were the hosts in a rematch at Rooney Field at Duquesne University. After receiving a first round bye, they avenged last year’s qualifying loss to Aromas Cafe with a 3-1 win to earn the Devils’ first-ever US Open Cup berth.

The Pittsburgh-based club advanced on the strength of two Travis MacKenzie goals to help the Devils become the first open division amateur club from Western Pennsylvania to qualify since 1992.

“It’s pretty exciting for us,” added McCormick. “A lot of us are 27, 28 – even some 30 or older, so we haven’t played in a meaningful, in a broader sense, games like this probably since we were in college. It’s been quite a while.”

MacKenzie, a former Duquesne University standout, who had a stint with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, usually roams near the top of the attack as part of a group that Battersby believes has talent, and all the intangibles that it takes for a team to make a run in the US Open Cup.

“They’ve been successful in the and in other competitions, basically because they know how to win,” said Battersby. “It may not be pretty, but when they step foot on the field, they play with a sheer determination to win.”

With a victory over the Derby City Rovers, Tartan Devils Oak Avalon would be the first amateur team from Western PA to win a U.S. Open Cup game in the Modern Era (1995-present).

Western Pennsylvania has a rich history in the US Open Cup, especially in the 1940s and 1950s. During those two decades, eight Pittsburgh-area teams reached the final with four of them lifting the trophy: Gallatin Sport Club (1942), Morgan Strasser (1949), and the Harmarville Hurricanes (1952, 1956).

“It’s exciting to have this opportunity. We know it only takes one game, and we have goal in mind — to win and have a chance to host a game against a pro team right here in Pittsburgh,” said McCormick, eluding to a possible second round date against USL’s Louisville City FC on May 17 at Highmark Stadium.

While McCormick, Battersby and the club members would have really cherished an opportunity to play against the local USL team, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, whom they are often seen supporting at Highmark Stadium, they are equally motivated to host an Open Cup game against a pro side.

“A couple years ago we were sitting around putting this together in a bar,” said McCormick. “Now, through trial and error, we pushed it further and further. And, look, he we are in the first round proper in the same tournament with USL, NASL and MLS teams.

“It’s quite an achievement. Let’s just see where it takes us.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Camaraderie spurs Boston-based GPS Omens to US Open Cup glory

May 7, 2017 by Brian O'Connell

GPS Omens celebrate their 2015 Bay State Soccer League MacKenzie Cup championship. Photo: GPS Omens

The more things change, the more they stay the same: it’s a phrase that rings especially true for Massachusetts-based USASA side GPS Omens.

In 2013, the Bay State Soccer League (BSSL) squad qualified for the US Open Cup tournament for the first time as Mass Premier Soccer, a moniker that was replaced by GPS Massachusetts, when in 2014 and 2015.

After missing the cut last year, the boys from Boston are back and it’s only fitting that they will sport a different name that they adopted last year.

“When Mass Premier Soccer merged into Global Premier Soccer (GPS), we saw it as an opportunity to refresh our name with something unique to the current players,” Omens skipper Greg Zuboff said. “We were originally the MPS MOA (Monsters of the Apocalypse). We changed to GPS Omens, which is a phrase used among our players in a social setting, though it’s also foreshadowed our terrific success under this brand.”

No doubt Omens have certainly enjoyed plenty of success as of late. In 2016, they became the first team in BSSL history to post an undefeated season by going 16-0-2. That remarkable run not only allowed them to be crowned league champions, but it also extended to Open Cup qualifying as well, as they beat Southie FC (MA) and Newton Pride (CT) to earn one of the 17 local qualifier spots in the 99-team field.

So how does Omens, an outfit whose identity seems to change with the autumn leaves, remain one of the best amateur sides in New England? One word: Depth

“We have a 30-man roster, and given personal schedules we usually turn out half for any game,” Zuboff said. “Any combination of that 30 is a force, and it’s enabled our success, particularly in late June games where occasionally find ourselves with only 11 or 12 men.”

Among the 30-man roster, a total of 21 players remain from the squad’s last Open Cup run back in 2015, and 15 have stuck around for each of the three first-round tilts since 2013, according to Zuboff. That familiarity among the players has no doubt made them one of the most formidable amateur outfits in New England.

Case in point: Omens has picked up right where they left off following last year’s table-winning season by notching victories in each of their first BSSL matches this year and already boast a goal-differential of +28.

Omens with 7-1 W over @oneida_fc E Anderson MOTM with 5 g’s @baystatesoccer @NESoccerToday @NonLeagueUSA pic.twitter.com/lMNhAFRJTU

— GPS Omens (@GPS_Omens) April 29, 2017

But relying on longstanding connections isn’t the only dynamic at play when it comes to their success.

“We also don’t take the game too seriously,” Zuboff said. “This is an outlet for our otherwise white collar lifestyles, and so we are there to play because we love the game, we love to win and we love drinking our coolers after a hard fought victory.”

After many such victories in league play last season, Omens is seeking something greater when they begin their Open Cup run in earnest on May 10 at GPS Portland Phoenix, which will take place in Portland, Me. The game is a rematch of the club’s first-ever Open Cup game in 2013 when they lost 2-0 to the Phoenix on the same field at Deering High School in Portland.

“The Open Cup is an opportunity to play against first class opponents and test our might,” Zuboff said. “Our league is very strong; however, the added diversity of playing teams against which we don’t regularly compete adds excitement about the unknown. “

The excitement and the unknown are undeniable draws for many amateur squads who’ve earned tickets to the historic tournament. But the way Zuboff tells it, there’s even more at play when Omens packs its bags for Portland on Wednesday.

“We also take advantage of the chance to travel together,” Zuboff said, “and enjoy the camaraderie that comes along with that.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Miami’s Red Force FC is a family affair seeking to “compete with the very best”

May 7, 2017 by Harrison Huntley

When asked why his club entered the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Red Force FC president Christian Vega simply said, “we enter every year because it is the most prestigious tournament in the US, and we want to compete with the very best.”

That drive to compete with the best is what’s taken Red Force FC from a local youth club to making its third US Open Cup appearance in 2017.

After his son graduated high school, head coach Gabriel Vega started Red Force FC as a way to allow Christian and his friends to continue playing competitive soccer. But this isn’t just a high school team.

After their inception in 2009, Red Force made a name for themselves around the Florida amateur leagues. They won the SSM Premier League five times in their 10 seasons in the league, with a stretch of four in a row, before moving up to the American Premier Soccer League (APSL) in 2015, which they won the 2016 Pre-Season Tournament and reached the finals of the Fall Tournament.

Red Force made their US Open Cup debut in 2013, but it was a short-lived run, as they lost their opening match to fellow Florida club Ocala Stampede of the Premier Development League (PDL). They returned the following year and picked up their first cup win, edging the Colorado Rovers (USSSA) on the road by the score of 2-1. The cup would end in Round 2 with a rough and tumble 2-1 road loss to the PDL’s Laredo Heat. The match saw a fight break out and five red cards handed out.

Red Force FC pose for a team photo in April of 2017. Photo: Red Force FC

Many members of Red Force FC have played at the professional and international level. Stiven Salinas represented the United States in international 5 vs. 5 tournaments, David Holguin and Cesar Murrillo played professionally in Colombia, and Evandro Rachoni earned a living in England’s League Two. The club mixes former pros with a solid core that has played together since the team’s inception, giving the team great chemistry, according to Christian Vega.

“The core of our team is Colombian players, but we range everywhere from Nigeria to El Salvador, Brazil, Peru, and throughout Latin America,” said Christian Vega. “But no matter where we come from we all play the same style of soccer. Possession soccer.”

Salinas contributed one of the team’s three first half goals in the opening round of US Open Cup qualifying, as Red Force defeated Miami Nacional SC 3-0 in a weather-shortened game. In Round 2, it was a battle of two APSL teams. Red Force erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals by Alvaro Franco in the final 15 minutes. to force extra time against Uruguay Kendall, the team that eliminated in last year’s qualifying tournament. Gilbert Ruiz scored the game-winner in stoppage time to send Red Force to the US Open Cup.

“Our expectation is just to take it one round at a time,” said Christian Vega. “And to show everyone good, quality, possession-oriented soccer that Red Force has been known to play.”

Red Force will host the opening game of the tournament as they will take on the PDL’s South Florida Surf as the only matchup on Tuesday, May 9. They will face them at Tropical Park Stadium in Miami. The winner of the game will take on Miami FC of the North American Soccer League, and if Red Force wins, they will host the game on May 16.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Boca Raton FC has MLS ambitions, sees US Open Cup as building block

May 6, 2017 by Neil Blackmon

Boca Raton FC's (right) opening game of the 2017 NPSL season was against Miami United, their First Round US Open Cup opponent. Photo: Boca Raton FC — Boca Raton FC’s (right) opening game of the 2017 NPSL season was against Miami United, their First Round US Open Cup opponent. Photo: Boca Raton FC

Boca Raton FC don’t have to look too far for a reminder of the magic of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. In fact, they don’t even need to leave South Florida.

The defining underdog story of last year’s Open Cup came thirty minutes down I-95 from Boca Raton, with the quarterfinal run of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League.

In truth, however, any comparisons between the Strikers and Boca Raton FC stop at geography.

For the Strikers, last year’s run was one about a headstrong group of players that managed to ignore the dark clouds of mismanagement and specter of financial doom off the field to deliver a lifetime of memorable magic to a small but fiercely loyal, and soon to be heartbroken, set of fans. It was a last hurrah for what had been one of American soccer’s brightest brands. The Strikers run was about defiance and bittersweet endings.

Boca Raton FC, on the other hand, is a club with a story that’s very much just beginning. Founded in 2015, Boca Raton has cultivated a unique, community-first structure from inception, and seen success in the process. Winners of four consecutive American Premier Soccer League (APSL) titles, this summer will see Boca Raton FC make the jump up to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for the first time. The club will open its NPSL home schedule May 12, just two days after they play Miami United in the US Open Cup.

Boca has not been shied away from big ambitions as they announced the club’s intention to make a long-term push to bring MLS to Boca Raton. The club launched the website, mls2bocaraton.com to help facilitate and promote the club’s long-term ambition.

Moving to NPSL is part of that process, club chairman Douglas Heizer said last week.

“We’re excited to play in NPSL,” Heizer said. “We built a team to play in NPSL two years ago. It gives the team more exposure for sure and we think we have a very good team, but it’s a new experience and we’re more interested in the club-building process than focusing on the move to NPSL.”

Boca Raton FC poses for a team photo before a NPSL game against Miami United. Photo: Boca Raton FC

But according to Heizer, the NPSL and seeking glory in America’s oldest soccer competition are just part of the process of club-building.

“Our main goal is to build a team that the fans and community can be proud of,” Heizer said. “That’s the number one goal. Second is to go wherever the fans bring us. We don’t care about the letters of the league. We care about the fans and the letters on the crest.”

Heizer said the club doesn’t have to reach MLS to accomplish that end.

“Chattanooga FC and Detroit City FC are perfect examples ” Heizer said. “They are NPSL teams and they have more people in the stadium than many of the second division sides.”

“Fans look for good soccer. They look for a club they can be proud of. I want to go where the fans are proud and where they want us to go,” said Heizer.

Helping deliver on Heizer’s vow to give Boca Raton FC fans good soccer is the club’s academy structure, a complete pyramid effect that starts children at the age of seven and offers different club levels until they are ready to become professionals. Boca has a partnership with Barcelona Elite that facilitates the last step, along with the NPSL club.

Boca Raton FC US Open Cup history2016 US Open Cup
Round 1: L, 4-1 (AET) at Miami Fusion FC (NPSL)2017 US Open Cup Qualifying
Round 2: W, 4-1 at Hurricane FC (USASA)

Heizer said rooting his club in community helps the club grow in a way that gives the team a skilled foundation but also expands the fan base and with it, the community’s investment in the club’s success long-term.

“I’m from Rio de Janeiro,” Heizer said. “Soccer there is a path to make a living. Clubs partner with academies and in the end, kids know where they will be going. But the important thing- the idea behind the system, is that clubs begin to care about players when they are kids, on and off the field. And then the kids grow up caring about the big club, as something that inspires them.”

It’s part of the reason Heizer has brought in coaches like Athirson, who emerged from that system in Brazil, playing with Flamengo early in his career before moving to Juventus, where he played, among other stops, until returning to Flamengo in 2004.

Athirson, who earned five caps for Brazil as well, will coach the NPSL side. He’ll be joined in the coaching pyramid by Juninho, who will run the club’s South American scouting operation, and Pedro Yunes, who will run the academy. All are familiar with the pyramid, community-based club structure.

“I wanted coaches who could share with young players the story of how you start at a club as early as 12 years old and experience results, later in life, with the top team.” Heizer explained. “That is what inspires the kids. The idea they can play for the top team, get college paid for, play professionally, learn quality skills but also build life experiences.”

Signing players on the field like Edmar, a former Ukrainian national teamer and Metalist Kharkiv regular who nearly led Ukraine to a stunning upset of France in the 2014 World Cup qualifying playoffs, signed with Boca Raton FC this February.

Edmar gives the club a level of proven class not often seen at this level, but the team is hardly a one-man band. Fullback Justin Wilbanks is very capable technically, and dangerous from distance. He has three goals on the APSL season to date. And Bruno Militz, a fast winger, is dangerous on the ball or cutting in on his left foot, a player not unlike Diego Serena was in his heyday with another old south Florida club, the Miami Fusion.

All in all, it’s enough talent to give Miami United all they can handle in the Open Cup Wednesday night.

Eventually, Heizer thinks the academies will do the dirty work.

“My short-term goal is to build with a foundation from the academies,” Heizer said. “I don’t know how long it will take but I think we can do it as early as five years into the system.”

For now, he just wants the community in south Florida to know that unlike last year’s Open Cup darling, the Strikers, whose fans received little recognition from a cold, detached front office, Boca Raton FC is a club that embraces the community. And he’s anxious to keep getting the word out.

As for the Open Cup matchup with Miami United, Heizer thinks it is just the beginning.

“You always play to win, and we will play to win. But whatever happens, we’re proud to be Boca Raton’s team.”

NOTE: Boca Raton FC is offering a free ticket to the US Open Cup game against Miami United on May 10. Fans just need to use the promo code “PREZ”.