LSA Athlético Lanier - Georgia Storm SA (07-05-2022)

This is the season opener for the NPSL Southeastern Conference, which has only a 10 games season. Until a day before the game, there was no sign of the game outside of the general NPSL website — neither club has a particularly useful website.

 

The game is played at the Allen Creek Soccer Center, a large soccer complex with 10 or more pitches in the woods somewhat outside of Gainesville, GA. The home team, LSA Athlético Lanier (yes, they really write Atletico like that), also seem to go by LSA Sharks; at least, that is their url. They have been in the semi-professional National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fifth tier of US soccer, since 2020.

 

There is one long side with bleachers, no tickets, and seemingly no place to change clothes, as most players of the away team, Georgia Storm SA (not to be confused with Georgia Storm FC!) arrive at the same time as me, ca. 15 minutes before kick-off. They are all Hispanic, as are all but one of the officials, of which one is a woman, the referee — not uncommon at this level in the US.

 

 

It is a chilly May evening for Georgia. It is windy, clouded, and at best 15 degrees Celsius.  As so often, both clubs are soccer academies, which make their money from youth soccer and field a “pro” team for PR, mostly. Unsurprising, then, that there are only some 50 visitors, almost all families and friends of the players.

 

The pitch is real grass but in a poor condition. It is very dry with patches of sand. Refreshingly, the little boombox is so weak that you can barely hear the national anthem before the game. Much of the audience seems also unbothered by it.

 

 

The game is played mostly in between the two penalty boxes, with both teams having a hard time controlling and passing the ball. In the 20^th minute, after an obvious dive that is waved away by the referee, the visitors shoot from 25 meter just over the goal.

 

Overall, there is very little happening. The home team complains a lot, about virtually every rough push or tackle, while the visitors have most of the game. I am getting cold and hungry, so I decide to go and get some food just before halftime.

 

As the stadium is so remote, I have to drive almost 15 minutes to get something to eat – moreover, two places are closed, so I end up at Sonic (don’t ask!). As I return 15 minutes into the second half. I’m told that LSA Athlético Lanier leads 1-0, which surprises me, as they are clearly the weaker team.

 

In the last 30 minutes as little happens as in the roughly 40 minutes of the first half I see. The hosts continue to complain about anything to the referee – I seriously doubt they would also have done that to a male referee – while the guests mainly play but cannot really create good chances. In the end, it remains 1-0.

 

 

This game was overall pretty similar to the hundreds of pick-up games that are being played across the US, albeit with bleachers and a bit more friends and family. Absolutely nothing points at the existence of actual football clubs, let alone semi-professional football. This is the problem of the NPSL, which has some nice teams and venues, but mostly is soccer academies sporting a team to attract more kids. I don’t think I can do many more of these games.

FC Carolina Discoveries - Gate City FC (12-07-2014)

At the lower end of the “professional” soccer leagues in the United States the season is very short. Moreover, games are spread over weird periods; for some teams three months, for other five weeks. This all makes it very hard to get to see a game, let alone a game in the Southeast, which is a barren wasteland in terms of decent soccer. This all notwithstanding, I did find a game only some 2 hours away, in Rock Hill, South Carolina! It was the last game of the regular season of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), South Region, South Atlantic Conference (which includes five teams from the two Carolinas).

Although we entered Rock Hill well before kick-off, at 19:00, we arrived a couple of minutes late to the game. The reason was that the game was moved from the usual ground at Manchester Meadows, a classic US soccer complex, to the (American) football stadium of District 3 High School, which actually has a much larger capacity. Not that this was really needed, as there are only some 150 people at the game, including some 25 away fans (which seemed to be almost all linked to the youth team that must have played earlier that day), which had made the ca. 120 miles (200 km) drive south from Greensboro, North Carolina.

We pay $6 each for a nice ticket and find a spot on the, mostly empty, large concrete stand – the smaller stand on the other side of the pitch is closed. The sun is still shining and it’s about 88F/31C with only a slight breeze.

The players look older than the players at the lowest level of the USL, which are mostly college players, who play in the Premier Development League (PDL) during the summer break. The game is played on AstroTurf with the football lines still on it – quite confusing for both the players and viewers.

Gate City FC (GCFC) gets a couple of half decent chances before the Carolina Discoveries goalie hits over the ball and gives the GCFC striker an easy finish in front of an open goal: 0-1. He doesn’t look or play like the real goalie, but rather like a regular player just filling in. In the next 5 minutes the visitors get two more good opportunities but finish weak.

In the 24th minute the home team gets a corner-kick, which is headed back and then headed at the crossbar. Six minutes later a GCFC player lobs the ball over the ‘goalie’ but hits the post –the ‘goalie’ reacts as if the ball is going to go far wide. In the 33th minute the hosts have their first good combination attack, but the GCFC goalie makes a save. Half time: a deserved 1-0 lead for the clearly better visitors.

Five minutes into the second half GCFC gets a penalty: the kick is weak, but the goalkeeper – a new one, who seems to be a real goalie – cannot stop it: 0-2. Three minutes later a terrible mix-up in the GCFC defense brings the hosts back into the game. The goalie kicks over the ball, which seems to be the story of the game, the ball rolls almost over the line, and a Discoveries player kicks it in: 1-2.

In the 64^th minute the visitors’ striker is touched from behind in the penalty box, but the referee doesn't give whistle. In the direct counter-attack the home striker goes down at outside of box and does get a penalty kick: 2-2. Asian gambling syndicate anyone?  

This totally changes the game. In the 77^th minute the Carolina Discoveries have the best combination attack of the game, but the shot hits the post. Two minutes later another complete screw up in the GCFC defense leaves the ball in front of a Discoveries player, who stands at 5 meters of the goal: 3-2. Four minutes later a badly defended ball is rebounded with a volley that goes over the terrible goalkeeper: 4-2. This is followed by virtually the only decent chance of the visitors, but the half-volley is saved by the (real) goalkeeper. In the 88^th minute the game is finished with a Discoveries free-kick that leads to a free header: 5-2.

In the end we saw a crazy game in a very pleasant setting. The football wasn’t particularly good, and there weren’t too many people in the stands, but the weather was nice and the venue promising.

Chattanooga FC – Jacksonville United FC (07-05-2011)

Having arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, in the afternoon, I decided to drive up to Chattanooga, Tennessee, a two hour drive, to see a game in the newly discovered National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a highly organized league of amateur (or semi-professional) teams. Chattanooga FC plays in the NPSL Southeast, a division with just six teams. In fact, although founded only on 2009, they were last year’s champions.

I arrived about fifteen minutes before kick-off at the ticket office and bought a GA ticket for just $5. CFC plays at the W. Max Finley Stadium, more specifically the Gordon L. Davenport Field, which is home to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga football team. Finley Stadium Davenport Field opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 20.668; but for soccer games only the main stand is open.

Before kick-off I was walking around the stadium, admiring the variety of snacks and of CFC merchandise, both of which sold pretty well (roughly 20% of all people were wearing CFC gear). It was a nice Spring evening, in the low 80s, and not too humid. A couple of minutes before kick-off, the ‘Chattahooligans’ entered the stadium, bringing the one drum and several other instruments that would sound all night.

While I was impressed by the number of people in the stadium, I am skeptical about the official number of 1.105. My estimation was roughly 750, of which almost a third arrived late into the first half of the game. The audience was almost exclusively white, middle class, with a lot of college kids and young children running around.

The quality of the game was roughly between the USL and PDL, equivalent to really good college soccer. Overall, there were (too) many short passes, weak first touches, and, despite the AstroTurf pitch, many inaccurate passes. As so often in US lower leagues, the play on both sides was defensive, slow, and predictable.

Only after almost half an hour the first real chances were created, mostly by CFC. First a good attack was intercepted by the Jacksonville goalie and only a minute later a good deep ball was headed back and then headed on the crossbar from 5 meter. Five minutes before half time a CFC striker misses a cross.

In the 42^nd minute a Jacksonville break is intercepted by the right back, who sets up a good attack, which cross is finished from 2 meter: 1-0. A couple minutes later a great effort of a Jacksonville attacker leads to a good pass that is miserably missed. And in the last minute of the first half the hosts miss a great counter opportunity because of a poor first touch. Half time score: 1-0.

After having sampled the “chiken on a stik” at a snack cart, which was quite good actually, I returned to the stand, but decided to sit a bit lower, among the crowd. What surprised me was that most people around me were talking about everything but the game. Only when really big chances for the home team occurred did they get involved.

A couple minutes into the second half a decent chance of CFC is finished too softly, while a corner in the 55^th minute is missed by the Jacksonville goalie, but cleared from the goal line by a defender. Not much happens until the last ten minutes, in which mostly the hosts, but also the visitors, take some good shots at goal. However, it is only two minutes in extra time that the last goal is scored, by the left back of CFC, who goes at it alone and then shoots hard and secure from inside the box: 2-0, final score.

My first experience in the NPSL was a big success! While it is officially an amateur league, in terms of audience and play it was well above the vast majority of PDL teams I have seen so far. So, if you are in the area, do go and see a CFC game!

Detroit City FC - Greater Binghamton FC (02-06-2012)

After several failed attempts to groundhop in 2012, including a last minute canceled trip to Europe, I finally had a groundhop-weekend again. Almost one year since my last groundhop trip to Canada, I was again moving up north, this time accompanied by my lovely wife, to see two games. The first game was in the Midwest Division of the fairly obscure National Premier Soccer League.

The great sport city of Detroit has not played much role in soccer, but the newly founded Detroit City FC is hoping to change this. They were founded by 5 local residents, who wanted their own club to help build community through soccer. Their inaugural season is played at Cass Tech Stadium, the football stadium of a downtown high school.

It’s a nice and sunny day as we arrive fifteen minutes before kick-off. We park opposite to the stadium and go to the ticket booth in front of the entrance: $5 per person buys us the game and a beautiful ticket. 

 

 Le Rouge, as DCFC is known among the insiders, has a pretty decent 'shop', i.e. a stand, where they sell various t-shirts, jerseys, and scarves. I am amazed by both the professional gear (sponsored by Nike) and by how many people actually wear the gear. This is undoubtedly helped by the fact that the crowd is very white male middle class (incl. alternatives); amazing in such a multicultural city. 

The opponent is Greater Binghamton FC, which has made the ca. 500 mile (800 km) trip by team bus. Not surprisingly, no away supporters have joined them. The Binghamton team seems to consist mostly of college students. As there are no dug-outs, their reserves, and those of their DCFC counterparts, have to sit on the stand (a novelty for me, as I have never seen that before in my 500+ groundhops).

There are roughly 500 people on this pleasant Saturday afternoon, almost exclusively white, but unlike at most lower division games in the US, there are remarkably few families or mothers with children. These people are really here for the game. Even more remarkable is the group of ca. 200 ultras, a sort of mini-Timbers Army (of the Portland Timbers), who chant and sing during the whole game.

The game is defined by the unfortunate combination of a bumpy pitch (real grass) and poor technique. In the 3^rd minute DCFC plays a great through ball, but the Binghamton goalie safes. In the 18^th another through ball does meet a cool finish: 1-0 for the home team!

DCFC remains the dominant side and in the 24^th minute they attack over the right flank, the GBFC goalie comes out of his goal, but the lob goes in the side net. Two minutes later a DCFC corner leads to a header that is cleared from line by a header of a defender.

The Asian-American referee adopts a British style, and let the game flow, which is nice. Both teams play physical but fair. In the 33^rd minute a good effort on the right is followed by a soft low shot that is missed by the Binghamton goalkeeper: 2-0. Six minutes later the visitors go alone at the Detroit goalie, but he saves. The ultras are enjoying themselves, singing “Take me home to Detroit City, where the roads are shit but the girls are pretty” (to the tunes of Guns & Roses). Half time: 2-0.

The second half is messy, in part because high balls have become more difficult because of the strong wind. In the 56^th minute a little pass through is finished in a calm and collected manner: 3-0. In the 59^th minute Detroit attacks over the right, the ball is brought in but bounces over the striker’s foot.

In the 73^rd minute a Binghamton sub almost scores on first contact. Four minutes later Detroit responds: a good attack over right and the cross is finished from 2 meter in the back: 4-0. The ultras, who have been singing all game, show their pride and celebrate their team.

After the 4-0 the visitors are incredibly tame. In the 84^th minute an attack over the whole pitch is set up and almost finished by the Detroit captain. Two minutes later a great home counter goes just wide. The full time score is: 4-0.

My first groundhop of 2012 was a very pleasant surprise. While the game itself was mediocre at best, the atmosphere was absolutely great! Seldom have I been so entertained by a US soccer crowd, let alone in the lower divisions, than at Detroit City FC. If the club can reach out beyond its current relatively small and homogeneous crowd, something beautiful could be growing in the Motor City!

Brooklyn Italians – Mass Utd FC (29-05-2011)

Initially, I was not that interested in National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), as it is officially a non-professional league. But, after my very positive experience at the Chattanooga FC game, I decided to see another NPSL game during my stay in New York. After all, who can ignore a team with the name Brooklyn Italians?

The Brooklyn Italians play in at John Dewey High School in a rough part of Brooklyn, NY; in fact, the school and pitch were surrounded by barb wire! There were no ticket office or bleachers; just a couple of 2-3 person benches on one side of the pitch. There was also no announcer and it was one of the only games I ever visited in the US that did not start with the national anthem (because of a lack of a sound system, I presume). This was without any doubt the most amateuristic setting I have ever visited as a groundhopper.

There were some 25 ‘spectators’, I guestimate most in one way or another linked to the clubs or players. An old man sat next to us and introduced himself as the president of the Brooklyn Italians. In poor English with a very heavy Italian accent he told us the heroic story of the club, which was founded in 1948 and has won several soccer prizes since.

From the outset the Brooklyn Italians dominated the game. Their young team created several half chances by good combinations. And they had a secret weapon; a player with a salto throw-in (or flip throw-in) –something I so far had only seen in women soccer. In the 21^st minutes he had another long throw-in, which was boxed out by the goalie, but the rebound was headed in: 1-0.

In the 24^th minute the visitors from Massachusetts had their first good chance, but the striker jumped under the great cross. But the Italians remained dominant and in the 31^st minute a corner kick was headed in: 2-0. Mass Utd FC created and wasted yet another chance, before the Italians scored their third after bad defending. 3-0 was also the half time.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half saw some good pressure from the guests, but the Italians withered that storm pretty easily. In the 67^th minute Mass Utd had a good counter attack, but the shot went wide. Eight minutes later they had another good chance, followed by a great counter attack of the hosts, but the ball ricocheted off the post.

In the 83^rd minute the guests finally got what they deserved, after bad defending of the hosts: 3-1. Two minutes later a Mass Utd striker pushes through and forced the goalie to make a save. The 86^th minute a long throw was headed in: 3-2. The final minutes were tight, but in the end the (much) better team did win 3-2.

The Brooklyn Italians might be a US soccer institution (see their wiki-site), but as far as infrastructure goes, they are even below an average amateur team. Hell, when I played junior soccer at the age of 11, in the Netherlands, I would play for more people! That said, a team with that name should grow and go professional. If they do, I’ll be back!