Central Valley Fuego FC

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Central Valley Fuego FC
Central Valley Fuego FC logo.svg
Full nameCentral Valley Fuego Football Club
FoundedAugust 12, 2020;4 years ago (2020-08-12)
Stadium Fresno State Soccer Stadium
Capacity1,000
OwnersJuan and Alicia Ruelas [1]
Head coachSantiago Aguilera (Fuego U23)
LeagueUnknown
2024 USL League One, 12th of 12
Playoffs: DNQ
Website https://www.fuegofc.com

Central Valley Fuego FC, also known as CV Fuego FC or simply Fuego FC, is an American professional soccer team based in Fresno, California. [2] The team was founded in 2020, and played its inaugural season in 2022. The team most recently competed in USL League One, the third tier of the US soccer league system and plays its home matches at Fresno State Soccer Stadium.

Contents

After the 2024 USL League One season, the team and league announced that they had come to "a mutual decision to part ways." [3] The League for Clubs, an amateur league, later announced that the Fuego's U23 team would be joining for the 2025 season. [4]

History

Foundation and early years

Central Valley Fuego FC became the twelfth professional club in California and the only one in Fresno after Fresno FC withdrew from USL Championship in 2019, [5] the club was announced on December 8, 2020 [6] and the logo was unveiled on January 21, 2021. [7] The team's name is a nod to the former Fresno Fuego that played in USL League Two from 2003 to 2019. [8]

The team's first permanent head coach was Martín Vásquez, [9] as Milton Blanco took the reins for the first three matches in club history following Jaime Ramirez's unexpected departure. [10] [11]

The club kicked off its inaugural season with a 2–0 victory over Greenville Triumph SC, and finished the 2022 season in eighth place with 11 wins, 12 draws, and seven losses. [12]

Struggles and leaving League One

The 2023 season was disastrous for the Fuego, however. The team finished last in League One, [13] and Vásquez was fired midway through the season on July 3, replaced by Adam Smith on an interim basis. [14] Smith himself would be replaced by Edison Gonzalez, also on an interim basis, less than two months later. [15]

Ahead of the 2024 season, the Fuego hired former United States men's national soccer team star Jermaine Jones as its new head coach. [16] Jones's tenure at the helm was controversial, however, with the Fuego again struggling on the pitch. In October of 2024, Jones was suspended by the USL for the remainder of the 2024 season after an independent investigation revealed Jones had harassed and threatened his players on multiple occasions. [17] The Fuego ultimately finished last for the second consecutive season. [18] Jones ultimately departed the club after the season. [19]

On November 14, 2024, the team and league announced that they had come to "a mutual decision to part ways," [3] and that plans for the future of the club would be made in the near future. [20]

On January 31, 2025, upstart amateur division The League for Clubs announced that the Fuego's U23 team would be joining for the 2025 season. [4]

Colors and crest

Fuego colors are black and red. The club's logo is based on a shield shaped like the head of a spade, representing the agricultural laborers of California's Central Valley. Across the top of this shield is the name of the team, while below lie three diagonal stripes of black-green-black which represent agriculture and growth. In base are red flames which represent the team's name and the passion for soccer of the local population. [7]

Players and staff

Current Staff

As of February 6, 2024 [21] [22]
Front Office Staff
Managing PartnerJuan Gerardo Ruelas Jr.
Vice President of Fútbol

Record

Year-by-year

As of October 26, 2023
Season USL League One Playoffs US Open Cup Top Scorer 1 Head Coach
PWLDGFGAPtsPosPlayerGoals
2022 30111273740408thDid not qualify R3 Flag of the United States.svg Christian Chaney 10 Flag of the United States.svg Martín Vásquez
2023 32621536612312thDid not qualify R2 Flag of El Salvador.svg Alexis Cerritos 9 Flag of the United States.svg Martín Vásquez (3–10–1)
Flag of England.svg Adam Smith (1–6–2)
Flag of the United States.svg Edison Gonzalez (2–5–2)
2024 22514327511812thDid not qualify R2 Flag of Honduras.svg Dembor Benson4 Flag of the United States.svg Jermaine Jones

^ 1. Top Scorer includes statistics from league matches only.

Head coaches

CoachNationalityStartEndGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Jaime Ramirez [11] Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States January 1, 2022February 1, 20220000!—
Milton Blanco (interim) [10] Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States February 2, 2022April 14, 20223201066.67
Martín Vásquez [9] Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States April 14, 2022July 3, 20234413247029.55
Adam Smith (interim) [23] Flag of England.svg England July 3, 2023August 30, 20239162011.11
Edison Gonzalez (interim) [24] Flag of the United States.svg United States August 30, 2023November 5, 20239252022.22
Jermaine Jones [25] Flag of the United States.svg United States November 6, 2023present246153025.00

Honors

Player honors

YearPlayerCountryPositionHonor
USL League One
2024Alfredo Midence Flag of Honduras.svg HondurasForwardGolden Playmaker
Young Player of the Year
All-League Second Team

See also

References

  1. ↑ Warszawski, Marek. "Fresno soccer club has ambitious plan for downtown stadium. Here's why it won't fly[.]". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Tioga-Sequoia, Fuego FC, host postponed block party". YourCentralValley.com. June 19, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "United Soccer League Statement" (Press release). USL League One Staff. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "FUEGO U23 TO JOIN THE LEAGUE FOR CLUBS". The League for Clubs. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ Warszawski, Marek (December 8, 2020). "New Fuego Futbol Club rekindles Fresno's soccer past, and offers redeveloped Selland Arena". The Fresno Bee . Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  6. ↑ Parmer, John (December 8, 2020). "Soccer is back: United Soccer League announces the Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club for 2022". YourCentralValley.com (KSEE/KGPE). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Central Valley Fuego FC Unveils Crest, Merchandise". USL League One. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Fresno FC Places U23s and Ladies Team on Hiatus". OurSports Central. February 1, 2019. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Fuego FC Staff (April 14, 2022). "Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Martín Vásquez As New Head Coach For USL League One Team". fuegofc.com. Central Valley Fuego FC. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Fuego FC Staff (April 13, 2022). "Fuego FC Announces Technical Staff Update". fuegofc.com. Central Valley Fuego FC. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Marden, Andrew (December 16, 2020). "FPU's Jaime Ramirez named 'Sporting Director' for Central Valley Fuego FC". YourCentralValley.com. KSEE/KGPE. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  12. ↑ "2022 Standings". uslleagueone.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Standings". uslleagueone.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Technical Staff Update - Central Valley Fuego FC". Central Valley Fuego FC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Technical Staff Update - Central Valley Fuego FC". Central Valley Fuego FC. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Welcomes Jermaine Jones as New Head Coach - Central Valley Fuego FC". Central Valley Fuego FC. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ Rueter, Jeff. "USL suspension of Jermaine Jones reveals fractures within team and even wider discord". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Prinx Performance Standings". uslleagueone.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Thank You, Jermaine Jones". Fuego FC. January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Statement From Central Valley Fuego FC". Central Valley Fuego FC (Press release). November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Front Office". fuegofc.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Technical Staff". fuegofc.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Technical Staff Update". FuegoFC.com. Central Valley Fuego. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Technical Staff Update". Central Valley Fuego FC. August 30, 2023. Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Central Valley Fuego FC Welcomes Jermaine Jones as New Head Coach". FuegoFC.com. Central Valley Fuego. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
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