In 2019, El Paso USL will begin play and will have the chance to face teams across the US. Before our debut in March of next year, we invite our fans to Meet the League. Every Monday, we will be profiling a new team in the USL so check back to learn a little more about each of the opponents we will be facing on the pitch.
Saint Louis was awarded their professional team expansion bid on May 1, 2014 and debuted in the USL in the 2015 season. Head Coach, Anthony Pulis, hails from Bristol, England and has prior experience in the United Soccer League where he played with Orlando City from 2011-2014. He also saw time with Stoke City, Southampton, and Stockport County.
A rich history of soccer runs deep in Saint Louis and that history was inserted into their team and crest. Founding in the early 1900s, the St. Louis Soccer League got the ball rolling and at the time was the “only fully professional league in the country.” Saint Louis FC have an official supporter group; the St. Louilligans can be heard loud at every match!
We look forward to playing matches with this club in 2019! Until then visit saintlouisfc.com for more information.
Hitting the ground running in 2011, Orange County Soccer Club is the official affiliate of LAFC. Orange County was one of the first of the 12 founding teams when the USL began. They are headed by Braeden Cloutier, who was born in Wichita and made the move to Germany to play for Hamburger SV when he was 18. Cloutier had an extensive club career (indoor and outdoor), playing until 2012. He was named head coach for Orange County in 2017.
One of the things that makes Orange County unique is their integration and creation of an eSports team under the same name as their club. They are the first club in the USL to have an official FIFA eSports team and are the first official US Pro Soccer FIFA eSports team. Orange County is a team of firsts and even currently in first place in the Western Division.
We look forward to competition with this club! Until then, visit https://www.orangecountysoccer.com for more information.
El Paso Locomotive FC is one of the newest clubs to join the USL for the upcoming 2019 season. The club’s name is deeply rooted in the history of El Paso and the Borderplex region that they call home. Up until October 4th, the club was known as El Paso USL, and then the official name and branding behind the team was announced. Similar to many other USL clubs, Locomotive FC will play their matches in a Triple A baseball stadium, Southwest University Park.
The club’s head coach is Mark Lowry of Birmingham, England. Lowry was previously with the Jacksonville Armada, where he held the highest winning percentage of any other manager in the club’s history. A native of El Paso and the first pick in the 2011 MLS Superdraft, Omar Salgado was the club’s first signee and is joined by forward Derek Gebhard (formerly of Jacksonville Armada and on loan to Charlotte Independence) and defender Daniel Navarro.
We look forward to playing our first match in 2019 El Paso! Until then, visit https://www.eplocomotivefc.com for more information.
Fresno Football Club took to the pitch for the first time in March 2018 and they were led out by Head Coach, Adam Smith, whose name may sound familiar to a few of you that follow Sacramento Republic. Smith was the former assistant head coach for Sacramento before moving into his current role. Like with few other teams in the USL, Fresno (also known as The Foxes and Los Zorros) play their matches inside a baseball park. They share the stadium with the Fresno Grizzlies, a common opponent of the EP Chihuahuas.
Fresno Football Club is the first professional soccer team to exist in the San Joaquin Valley. As all USL clubs are unique, Fresno stands in company with only a handful of other clubs that have a Women’s side that plays in the WPSL and a U23 squad.
We look forward to competition with this club! Until then, visit https://www.fresnofc.com for more information.
Sacramento Republic FC started their play in 2014 and ended up winning the USL Championship that year; setting the bar high from the first whistle. The city of Sacramento’s motto upon settlement was Urbs Indomita because it’s citizens where not easily subdued. Sacramento is truly the Indomitable City, and their club is a testament to that. Their crest represents the state of California and the people who make it up.
Head Coach, Simon Elliot who has been with the club since February of 2018, brings with him his own extensive and impressive playing resume. Elliot has played in the MLS, Premier League and for his home country, New Zealand. The club’s supporter group is the Tower Bridge Brigade and they bring serious noise and support for their team.
We look forward to competition with this club! Until then, visit www.sacrepublicfc.com for more information.
Colorado Springs has some of the most breathtaking views of the Rockies and is also home to the state’s only USL Team. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC has been delivering professional soccer to fans since they played their first season in 2015. They also play in the highest altitude (6,500 feet) of any primary home stadium for a pro team in the American soccer pyramid, making them a highly conditioned unit.
Head Coach, Steve Trittschuh has been the leader of the team in the entirety of the club’s tenure. He has also amassed his own impressive playing resume prior to his current station. Playing in the MLS, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, and he also has earned thirty-eight caps with the US men’s national team.
We look forward to competition with this club! Until then, visit https://www.switchbacksfc.com for more information.
We last introduced you to Tulsa Roughnecks FC, but our neighbors to the northeast have more than one USL team that we will battle with! OKC Energy FC, an affiliate of MLS’s FC Dallas, are led by Head Coach Steve Cooke who has seen stations at many different levels within the MLS coaching hierarchy. OKC Energy has five recognized supporters groups, The Grid, La Furia Verde, OKC Breakers, Northend United, and Main Street Greens – Remember these groups EP USL fans, you’ll be competing against them!
With all teams, the rivalries are what makes the USL so thrilling, and OKC Energy FC is no exception. The Black Gold Derby is the rivalry between Tulsa Roughnecks FC and OKC Energy FC and has seen OKC boast a winning record of 8-3-3. The team plays their matches in historical Taft Stadium that was built in 1934 and has seen multiple updates through the years.
Visit https://www.energyfc.com for more information on this club!
This week we are looking to our neighbor state, Oklahoma, and introducing you to a conference rival, Tulsa Roughnecks FC. With a rich and long-standing history, the club laid its initial NASL roots in San Antonio in 1975 and the relocated to Hawaii until past franchise owner, H. Ward Lay relocated the club to Tulsa in the late 1970s. They played their final season in the NASL in 1984 before folding, but their legacy established the groundwork for what the club is today and introduced “the beautiful game” to the city of Tulsa.
As is the case with a handful of other USL teams, Tulsa Roughnecks FC shares an ownership group with a minor league baseball franchise, the Tulsa Drillers. Led by interim Head Coach, Michael Nsien—who holds his own impressive soccer resume, including time with the Nigerian Olympic team, LA Galaxy, and the Portland Timbers—the club plays in the Western Conference and battles with in-state rival, OKC Energy. The Roughnecks are affiliated with the Chicago Fire in the MLS.
Visit www.roughnecksfc.com for more information on this club!
Last week we featured Las Vegas Lights FC, but Nevada is actually home to two USL clubs. The first of those clubs was Reno 1868 FC, who began play in 2017. Named after the founding year of the city, Reno 1868 calls Greater Nevada Field home. The team shares the field and are managed by the same owners as the MiLB Triple-A team, the Reno Aces.
The team has been coached by Ian Russel for both seasons in the league. Russell was a former player and coach for the San Jose Earthquakes, the MLS affiliate of Reno 1868. The technical affiliation between the two clubs means that players can more easily move between the two clubs; whether it be on loan or a permanent signing. Given that we will play against Reno 1868 next year, we may see some of those Earthquakes in El Paso! Visit https://www.reno1868fc.com/ for more information on this club!
This week we look at Las Vegas Lights FC, who are playing their inaugural season in the USL this year. Jose Luis Sánchez Solá, or Chelís, was named as the first head coach of Lights FC and comes to the team after stints as a MLS and Liga MX manager. Currently, the team is coached by Chelís’s son, Isidro Sánchez. The roster features MLS standout Freddy Adu as well as Omar Salgado, who is El Paso USL’s first player. On loan with the team since July, Salgado has already scored two goals and has one assist in his first five games with the team.
The Las Vegas Lights FC are also grabbing headlines and gaining attention for their activities off the pitch. Dolly and Dotty, two llamas, are an integral part of the team and frequently appear on field and in team photos. The team also sports jerseys with smiley face emojis on the inside that get shown off during goal celebrations and a Las Vegas team wouldn’t be complete without their own DJ, would they? We can’t wait to see what tricks Lights FC will have up their sleeves next year when we face them. Visit lasvegaslightsfc.com for more information!
After last week’s announcement of Austin Bold FC, the Lone Star State now is home to four USL clubs, including San Antonio FC. Already established as an in-state rival by some fans, San Antonio FC began play in 2016 and is owned and operated by the same ownership group as the San Antonio Spurs.
The team has been led for all three seasons by head coach, Darren Powell. With more than 15 years of professional soccer experience, Powell holds the position as the winningest coach of the men’s soccer program at Elon University, a Division 1 school.
Toyota Field, one of the more advanced soccer specific stadiums in the league, is where the team plays their home matches. Currently, the club is looking to shatter their longest win streak after winning their fourth consecutive match. Who do you think will win the first Sun City vs. Alamo City matchup? Learn more about San Antonio FC!
Today in Meet the League Monday, we travel down the Rio Grande to another USL team located along the border. Rio Grande Valley FC is a hybrid affiliate of MLS club Houston Dynamo which means that the Dynamo controls the technical side of the club. Wilmer Cabrera, the Toros first head coach, was called up to coach the Dynamo in 2016 and continues to serve as head coach for the MLS side.
Located in Edinburg, TX, H-E-B Park is the soccer specific stadium the Toros call home. While more than 11 hours away from El Paso, the battle between the two clubs located on the Rio Grande is sure to be an exciting matchup next year! Click here to learn more about the club.
For our first Meet the League Monday, we introduce Phoenix Rising FC. One of the closest opponents distant wise at 6 hours away, Phoenix Rising will be a tough team to face given their performance on the field this year. Currently, Phoenix Rising sits at second place in the Western Conference at 11-4-5 (Wins-Losses-Ties).
Phoenix Rising FC made their debut in 2017 but originally joined USL as Arizona United SC in 2014 under different ownership. The team made headlines in 2017 when they signed Didier Drogba of Chelsea and the Ivory Coast, Chivas great, Omar Bravo, and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City. Visit http://www.phxrisingfc.com/ for more information!