Soccer Grows in America
The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) is committed to growing the sport of soccer in the United States in a sustainable way. The 2015 expansion plan is to grow strategically by strengthening their existing conferences and expanding the national footprint of the NPSL into new areas of the country that does not currently have high level soccer. Here are a few of the new teams joining the NPSL.
New York Cosmos B
“The NPSL is tremendously excited to welcome the New York Cosmos into the league,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone said. “The Cosmos are known globally and have been such an important part of the American soccer community for many years. Personally, this is an incredible honor as I remember with great joy attending my first Cosmos match at the age of eight. Having them join us is one of the great moments in the history of our league and we couldn’t be more delighted.”
The team, which will be called the New York Cosmos B, will play in the Northeast Region’s North Atlantic Conference. Their 2015 opponents will include the Brooklyn Italians, Greater Lowell United FC, New York Athletic Club, Rhode Island Reds, Seacoast United Mariners, and Seacoast United Phantoms.
“This is a key step for us in terms of our player development plans,” said Erik Stover, Chief Operating Officer of the New York Cosmos. “The creation of New York Cosmos B to play in the NPSL provides us with the flexibility and a structured development path for our reserve players to flourish. We see it as a training ground that will not only help develop younger players vying for more first-team action but also help integrate and accelerate the progress of our academy players.”
The Cosmos join the Carolina RailHawks, Atlanta Silverbacks, and Minnesota United as North American Soccer League (NASL) teams with reserve or developmental squads in the NPSL.
The NPSL has experienced meteoric growth since its inception in 2002, growing into a robust league with teams across the country. Currently the NPSL has over 70 teams in four regions: West, Midwest, Northeast, and South.
The league has become a key developmental vehicle for players, coaches, and nationwide. A growing number of NPSL players join the professional ranks each and every year, joining teams in the U.S. and abroad. Dane Murphy (New York Athletic Club), Jimmy Mulligan (Brooklyn Italians), Pedro Mendes (Rhode Island Reds), Paulo Mendes (Rhode Island Reds), and Chris Rodd (Sonoma County Sol) are all NPSL alumni that have played for the Cosmos in the NASL.
FC Indiana
“We are looking forward to adding yet another team to the Midwest Region,” NPSL Chairman Barone said. “FC Indiana has experienced great success over the years and we are excited about what they will bring to the NPSL.”
Lafayette’s Legacy Sports Club is the home of FC Indiana. The new soccer facility, which was completed in July 2012, features one outdoor field and two indoor turf fields. The outdoor field also includes a grandstand, pavilion, and scoreboard. An additional three outdoor fields are expected to be constructed in 2015. The indoor fields feature a spectator area, locker rooms, and concessions.
FC Indiana is led by Legacy Sports Club President David Bugay, Facility Coordinator Jeff DeBoy, Head of Player Personnel Chris Castro, Head Coach Erik Castro, and Manager Terri Sy-Bugay.
“We joined the NPSL because we were seeking a professional, organized league for competitive play,” Bugay added. “We were also looking for a path for further development of FC Indiana players and had a desire to bring a higher level of soccer to the greater Lafayette, Indiana area.”
Chris Castro, who possesses a USSF “A” and Federación Haitienne de Football license, has served as head coach for the Haiti U-17 women’s national team and assistant coach for the Haiti women’s national team. Under his expert tutelage, FC Indiana won four championships in the women’s game. These include two Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and two Women’s US Open Cup titles.
Erik Castro, who boasts over twenty years of experience, coached his teams to another seven championships at this accomplished club.
Sy-Bugay is the current trainer for the Haiti women’s national team.
FC Indiana plans to engage the communities of North Central Indiana, which includes Delphi, Logansport, Frankfort, Crawfordsville, Monticello, and Lafayette.
The club will offer a myriad of opportunities, including recreational teams, an academy, youth camps, and local soccer “team nights” at NPSL and PASL matches.
Deportivo Coras USA
“We are excited to add a team in the Inland Empire,” Barone said. “Deportivo Coras USA has a great tradition of excellence and we are looking forward to working with them for many years to come.”
The club was formed in 1969 with a history of winning championships in Southern California. Now over 40 years later, the club has been reborn with a high level of competition, a loud and passionate fanbase, and a strong business structure. The team also boasts an affiliation with Deportivo Tepic FC, a well-known professional club from Mexico.
Home matches will be played on the campus of La Sierra University.
Deportivo Coras USA is led by club president/majority owner Robert Lopez-Guardado, Director of Club Operations Andres Otañez, and head coach David Trevino.
“The NPSL was the best choice for our club because of its professionalism and rapid growth during the last few years,” Lopez-Guardado remarked. “We wanted a league with plans for growth in the U.S. and we understand that great plans are ahead for this league.”
Otañez is responsible for the daily operations of the club, which has included the club’s home field at La Sierra. He has many years of experience working in soccer, including serving as the head coach of Elsinore HS in Wildomar, CA.
Trevino led Deportivo Coras USA to the 2014 SoCal Premier Championship and 2014 California State Championship in just his first year in charge. Trevino enters his fifth year as an assistant coach at La Sierra University. Trevino joined the coaching staff there after playing his collegiate career at La Sierra, where he was a four-year starter and captain. Trevino was also a standout player with the Los Angeles Bolts of the PASL.
“We are now eager to join the NPSL in our inaugural season as we to pursue the dream that began in 1969,” Lopez-Guardado added.
FC Tacoma 253
“We are thrilled to welcome FC Tacoma 253 to our league,” Barone said. “They will bring a strong and powerful presence to one of America’s soccer hotbeds. The management of the team brings years of experience at the highest level of international soccer. We are excited to have them working with us as we move forward in growing the game together.”
Home matches will be played at the Mount Tahoma Athletic Stadium, a facility with seating for 5,000. It is conveniently located minutes from downtown Tacoma and will provide the club with a professional environment.
FC Tacoma 253 is led by owner Giuseppe Pezzano, the former owner of Fiesole Caldine Firenze, a historic Italian soccer team from the Tuscany region. He is also the CEO and President of OSA Soccer Group. Recently he served as a soccer consultant for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer and was responsible for signing notable Italian footballers Marco Di Vaio and Alessandro Nesta.
“We bring an exclusive and unique method of soccer development, the very first Italian influence in the region,” Pezzano remarked. “With our direct collaboration with Vincenzo Vergine of ACF Fiorentina, we expect to bring a great sense of competitiveness.”
Pezzano is joined by Manager Coach Paolo Mottola and Vergine, who will serve as Technical Advisor.
A distinguished coach, Mottola holds the USSF “A” License, USSF Goalkeeping License, and the NSCAA Director of Coachine. Vergine, Fiorentina’s youth sector director, is responsible for developing 22 players who are now part of the Italian National Team program. He is in his fifth season with the well-known Serie A club.
“The NPSL is one of the most competitive organizations in American soccer and we believe that we have what it takes to rapidly become a positive part of it,” Pezzano concluded. “We are honored to be in the league and we know that it will provide us with great satisfaction.”
The club plans to provide local players with a world-class development system, which will give them the opportunity to prove themselves in the NPSL before moving on to professional clubs.
NPSL clubs RVA FC (Richmond, VA) and FXBG FC (Fredericksburg, VA) recently merged with the Fredericksburg Area Soccer Association (FASA) to form Fredericksburg Football Club (FFC).
“We are excited to announce the merger of these fine soccer organizations,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone stated. “Fredericksburg, Virginia is a great market for the NPSL and we are excited about having a presence there for many years to come.”
Fredericksburg FC
“As NPSL grows, we continue to welcome great clubs. We enthusiastically welcome 2013 NPSL National Champions Fredericksburg FC to our league,” Barone said. RVA FC is best known for winning the 2013 NPSL National Championship in their first season in the league.
“This is a very exciting and rare opportunity to have a full pyramid structured club on both the men’s and women’s sides,” Fredericksburg FC President/Executive Director Grover Gibson said. “There isn’t a single club in Virginia that provides these opportunities. We are looking to compare our programming to the rest of the world, not just based on the competing clubs around us.”
Gibson, the winner of the 2013 Alexander Arellano Memorial Trophy as the NPSL’s top coach, will also serve as head coach for Fredericksburg FC’s NPSL squad. FFC Technical Director David Shaw will be head coach for the club’s WPSL team.
Home matches will be played at the University of Mary Washington in downtown Fredericksburg.
Fredericksburg FC operates with 1600 year-round players with nearly 400 more served by camps and community. The club has gone through extensive restructuring and now has full-time employees in both administration and soccer development. A newly built complex, which the club owns and operates, features seven fields. FFC has also partnered with Fredericksburg Field House to have an additional outdoor lighted turf field and a full-size futsal court.
“Fredericksburg is a sleeping giant in youth soccer in Virginia and we are looking to maximize its potential,” Gibson concluded.
FFC will attract players from all over the state and at the same time maintain a focus on developing homegrown players as well. NPSL, WPSL, and men’s reserve teams will all fall under the Fredericksburg FC umbrella.
NPSL Expansion Opportunities
The NPSL is a national league that operates in the 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. NPSL teams are eligible to in the U.S. Open Cup through their affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). The NPSL operates in over 80 markets from across the country and is currently one of the fastest-growing soccer leagues in the U.S. Two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, and Four North American Soccer League (NASL) clubs, Minnesota United, Carolina Railhawks, Atlanta Silverbacks and Oklahoma City FC, operate teams in the NPSL.
What Makes the NPSL Unique?
– Professionally operated teams
– Teams comprised of players holding amateur playing status (high school, collegiate and former professional athletes)
– Players maintain college eligibility and play at an elite level with a mix of young and veteran players
– Showcase for players who aspire to move to the professional level
– Owners of the teams comprise the league board
– Low entry cost and low annual dues for league membership provide a sustainable business model
– Extremely competitive league structure. Teams play in Regional Conferences to keep travel expenses low while benefiting from infrastructure of a national league
To learn more about how to become a member of the National Premier Soccer League please contact Joseph Barone, NPSL Chairman.
