SoccerToday NPSL Spotlight Series
Soccer News: The soccer scene has been exploding and the sport’s popularity increasing substantially. The National Premier Soccer League – NPSL for short – is the country’s largest amateur soccer league. SoccerToday’s special coverage on this 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid, gives soccer fans a glimpse into the life of the teams.
And did you know, NPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Soccer Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and some NPSL teams have performed very well. NPSL is affiliated with both the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).
Founded in April 2015, learn more about Boston City FC from Founder/CEO Renato Valentim.
Diane Scavuzzo: Why did you decide to buy an NPSL soccer team?
Renato Valentim: When I started to search for the best league option for a start up team, I found that the NPSL had the best system for us. It gives us an opportunity to reach our immediate goals and I see a good future for this league, so I decided to join.
Diane Scavuzzo: When did you become a soccer fan?
Renato Valentim: I was born in Brazil, so the sport is in my blood! I grew up playing and watching soccer every day. It is my favorite sport. I played just for fun and I still play in a regional league in Boston.
Diane Scavuzzo: As an owner, how would you describe yourself?
Renato Valentim: I am extremely professional, always working to be better and I run my business aspiring to reach the position that I desire and not the position that I’m currently in.
Diane Scavuzzo: Who is your head coach and why did you select him?
Renato Valentim: Our head coach and my partner in the club is Jorge Silva, commonly known as Palhinha. He runs the sports side and I run the business side. We decided to put him in this position because of his experience; He was a professional soccer player, playing with teams like Sao Paulo Esporte Club, Flamengo, Gremio and Cruzeiro in Brazil, and he played in Spain and Peru. He was also a Brazil international, which is the highest accolade a Brazilian soccer player can achieve.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is your favorite memory so far since becoming an owner?
Renato Valentim: It has been a short season so far, but probably our first game — seeing all the kids excited to run over to our players requesting autographs. All of our players also celebrated with the fans who call themselves the Ironsides Crew. We won that first match and that it was a wonderful spontaneous gesture that shows how much the fans mean to the team.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do you feel the NPSL is doing a good job with the challenges of amateur/pro men’s soccer?
Renato Valentim: They are doing a great job and we all have to work to improve things and create an even better product for fans across the country. There are more than 80 teams of varying degrees of professionalism in the NPSL and that presents a challenge for a league that has limited resources, but works hard to be very well organized.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is your area in need of more competition or are you concerned about future expansion?
Renato Valentim: When you are involved in any sport you can’t be concerned about competition. Healthy competition is always good, and any expansion would be welcome. We already have a couple of rivalries with the New York Cosmos B and Brooklyn Italians, partly because of the New York-Boston rivalry, but also because they both defeated us and we want to beat then in the return matches.
Diane Scavuzzo: Would you like to see European style promotion and relegation exist in the USA?
Renato Valentim: Absolutely. It would be the best thing to help soccer grow in the United States and will make the sport more interesting as well. Look at what is happening in Detroit and Chattanooga right now. That is not planned, not manufactured, and it has grown organically and teams like that should have an opportunity to move up in the soccer structure without it costing them hundreds of millions of dollars. We have those aspirations too and are working hard to make our mark on the landscape in and around Boston.
Diane Scavuzzo: What team do you believe does the best at promoting the game?
Renato Valentim: In our conference, for the limited time we have been involved, I think it is Kingston Stockade FC.
Diane Scavuzzo: Who do you believe is your biggest rival?
Renato Valentim: The New York Cosmos B. They are the reigning champions and they are in New York and we are in Boston, which in a city that has the Bruins, Red Sox and Celtics as your home, you know that anything New York is a rival!
Diane Scavuzzo: What are your goals for 2016?
Renato Valentim: In any competition you have to have the desire to win. Quite simply, our goal is always to win every single match and to be successful. We want to win the division, qualify for the playoffs and win the NPSL Championship. We also want to participate in the US Open Cup next season, which would be a real honor for Boston City FC.
