Cleveland SC

Last updated
Cleveland SC
Clevelandsclogo.png
Full nameCleveland Soccer Club
FoundedFebruary 19, 2018;5 years ago (2018-02-19) [1]
Stadium Drive Morris Stadium
(North Olmsted, Ohio)
Capacity4,000 [2]
OwnerSamuel Seibert
(Cleveland SC Corp.)
Head coachVlad Muresan
League National Premier Soccer League
2022
  • Rust Belt Conference: 1st
  • Playoffs: Regional final
Website Club website

Cleveland SC is an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio region. Cleveland competes in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as part of the Midwest Region's Great Lakes Conference. The club was established on February 19, 2018, taking over from the recently defunct AFC Cleveland as the city's representative in the NPSL.

Contents

Cleveland SC (CSC) plays home matches at Drive Morris Stadium in North Olmsted, Ohio, but has played at four other stadiums during its existence: Don Shula Stadium, George Finnie Stadium, Lakewood Stadium, and Krenzler Field. Samuel Seibert, a local banker and administrator, founded the club after being approached by a group of former AFC Cleveland players who wanted to see competitive soccer retained in the Cleveland area. Vlad Muresan is the third head coach in club history and has been in charge since April 2022.

Through five seasons, Cleveland SC has won three conference and two region championships, has never missed the NPSL playoffs, and has appeared twice in the U.S. Open Cup. Cleveland has rivalries with fellow Ohioan NPSL clubs Akron City FC and FC Columbus and previously contested the Rust Belt Derby with FC Buffalo and Detroit City FC. Notable players to have appeared for the club include Puerto Rico international Ryan López, as well as Ohio natives Riley Grant and Ben Fitzpatrick, while Louie Rolko served as an assistant coach.

History

For the previous six seasons, from 2012 to 2017, AFC Cleveland had represented the city of Cleveland in the National Premier Soccer League. That run included an NPSL national championship in 2016, as well as two appearances in the U.S. Open Cup. [3] However, the club was expelled from the NPSL due to "not [being] in good financial standing with the league." [4] That announcement came on December 12, 2017, just months before the new season was set to begin. [5]

Inaugural season

"Cleveland SC is going to bring a fanbase filled with pride. Cleveland has a soccer fan base that is a sleeping giant and we intend to tap into that immediately. Cleveland has the best sports fans anywhere and our opponents will learn that quickly."

—Samuel Seibert, club owner and president [6]

The catalysts for founding Cleveland SC were two former AFC Cleveland players, Coletun Long and Chris Cvecko. According to Long, the two "started having a conversation in the car and talked further in a Chipotle parking lot outside the city. We wrote down ideas and called teammates and others previously associated with AFC Cleveland." [7] One of those people contacted was Samuel Seibert, a Northeast Ohio native who had been on the media relations staff for AFC Cleveland. He went on to take the lead on the NPSL expansion process, culminating in an official announcement of Cleveland SC as an NPSL expansion club on February 19, 2018. [8] [6] That announcement came just 90 days before the club was set to play its first regular season match.

Prior to the season beginning, CSC announced that the club would play its inaugural season at Don Shula Stadium, located in University Heights, Ohio on the campus of John Carroll University. [9] In conjunction with local designers, a crest and kits featuring an orange and black color combination were launched in mid-March, less than a month before the club's inaugural match. [10] Ryan Osborne was announced as the club's first head coach and the first two matches in club history took part in April, the inaugural edition of the Cheese Barn Derby against FC Columbus. [7] The first-ever league match in CSC history took place on May 19, 2018, ending in a 2–0 victory over Rochester Lancers courtesy of goals from Declan McGivern and American futsal international Antonio Manfut. [11] After a second-place finish in the Midwest-East, the club qualified for the playoffs and defeated Erie Commodores in the quarterfinals before falling to AFC Ann Arbor in the regional semifinals. [12]

Colors and badge

The Guardians of Traffic statues are modeled after the Greek god Hermes and are considered to be an icon of the city of Cleveland. Cleveland Skyline (24617868562).jpg
The Guardians of Traffic statues are modeled after the Greek god Hermes and are considered to be an icon of the city of Cleveland.

When Cleveland SC was founded, the first part of the club identity to be decided was the colors: orange and black. [3] The color scheme was chosen because of its uniqueness in the NPSL and therefore an ability to visually stand out from the crowd. Orange was chosen to represent the sunsets over Lake Erie that are common in the Cleveland summer. Although the colors are visually similar to the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League, the Cleveland SC colors were not inspired by the Browns identity. [14]

The club crest was designed by Mike Kubinski of Cleveland Clothing Co., a local T-shirt company headquartered in Lakewood, Ohio. The name and founding year of the club, stylized in Roman numerals, feature at the top of the badge. An image of one of the Guardians of Traffic statues comprises the focal point of the badge. [14] The statues are located on the Hope Memorial Bridge in Downtown Cleveland and are also the namesake of the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball, although the baseball team didn't adopt that nickname until 2021. [13] Club owner Samuel Seibert said the reason for the choice was that "one of the coolest things in the city of Cleveland that wasn't getting enough publicity at the time was our transportation bridge", and because the bridge connects the east and west sides of the city. [3]

Cleveland SC's original kits were designed by club creative director Cory Mizer. The orange home shirt featured a depiction of the Cleveland skyline. The black away shirt featured an orange chevron across the chest, with the shape of the chevron inspired by the shape of the Lake Erie shoreline. These kits, manufactured by Admiral Sportswear, were worn for the first two seasons of the club's existence. [14] Ahead of the 2020 season, Cleveland switched manufacturers to UN1TUS, a local company headquartered in Westlake, Ohio. The new orange kit kept the same design, while the away kit was replaced by a white shirt featuring a much larger chevron, although it kept the Art Deco detailing inspired by the pattern on the Guardians statues. [15] After two years, Cleveland SC unveiled new kits ahead of the 2022 season. White was worn at home, with black returning as the away shirt. Both jerseys, paired with orange shorts and socks, featured the statue from the logo in a detail on the right side of the shirt. [16]

Stadium

Cleveland SC played its first-ever U.S. Open Cup match at George Finnie Stadium. Baldwin Wallace Homecoming (15449021795).jpg
Cleveland SC played its first-ever U.S. Open Cup match at George Finnie Stadium.

Drive Morris Stadium

Cleveland SC hosted its first round match in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup at Drive Morris Stadium in North Olmsted, Ohio. [18] The stadium, which was built in 2018, has a capacity of 4,000. North Olmsted High School, the primary tenants of the stadium, play football, soccer, and track and field at Drive Morris. [2]

Previous venues

Cleveland SC played its inaugural season at Don Shula Stadium, located in University Heights, Ohio on the campus of John Carroll University. [9] The head coach of the Blue Streaks men's soccer program at the time, Hector Marinaro, helped secure the stadium availability for CSC. [7] On May 19, 2018, in the first competitive game in club history, Cleveland defeated Rochester Lancers by a 2–0 scoreline at Shula. [19] Cleveland finished with four wins, one loss, and one tie at Shula Stadium, while averaging 200 to 300 fans per game. [20]

Due to renovation work at Shula Stadium over the summer of 2019, Cleveland SC moved to Baldwin Wallace University's George Finnie Stadium, located in Berea, Ohio. [21] The debut match at the stadium was on May 5, an international friendly against Mexican side Monarcas Morelia Reserves as part of the Neighbor Nations Showdown. [22] CSC returned to the stadium ahead of the 2021 season and spent two more years in Berea, losing just three total home games across those three seasons. [23] Cleveland SC hosted two NPSL playoff games at the George Finnie in 2021, as well as the club's U.S. Open Cup debut, a first round victory against Chicago FC United in March 2022. [17]

In between stints at the George Finnie, Cleveland SC announced ahead of the 2020 season that they would play home matches at two stadiums that year: Lakewood Stadium, in Lakewood, Ohio, and Krenzler Field, on the campus of Cleveland State University. [24] However, the NPSL season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and CSC did not play a home game in the two cup competitions they took part in. [25] The club returned to both stadiums during the 2022 season, playing one regular season game in Lakewood and their Midwest Region quarterfinal at Krenzler. [26]

Cleveland SC has hosted friendly matches at two other stadiums. The first match in club history, against FC Columbus in 2018, was played at Highland Stadium in Medina, Ohio, and a game against Ambassadors FC Ohio in 2021 was held at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium in Euclid, Ohio. [27]

Cleveland SC home stadiums
StadiumLocationCapacityYears
Don Shula Stadium University Heights, Ohio 5,416 [28] 2018
George Finnie Stadium Berea, Ohio 7,800 [29] 2019; 2021–2022
Krenzler Field Cleveland, Ohio 1,680 [30] 2019 (one game); 2020; 2022 (one game)
Lakewood Stadium Lakewood, Ohio 10,000 [31] 2020; 2022 (one game)
Drive Morris Stadium North Olmsted, Ohio 4,000 [2] 2023–present

Supporters

"All of us are really different, but it does not matter. If you support Cleveland soccer, we are happy to have you...You don't find your club; your club finds you. I'm here for anything NPSL. It is much more intimate here."

—RJ Pooch, one of the leaders of 6th City Syndicate [7]

The organized supporters' group for Cleveland SC is the 6th City Syndicate (6CS). [32] 6CS is an independent group that predates the founding of the club: they previously supported AFC Cleveland before coming along after the creation of Cleveland SC. During matches, 6CS hangs painted banners, sings songs and chants, and lets off smoke after every Cleveland goal. [7] [33]

6CS has declared itself to be "against racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance...bigotry of any kind, violence, and the threat of violence real or perceived." [32] The group has participated in the yearly Prideraiser campaign, raising money for the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland. [34]

Players and staff

Squad

As of March 20, 2023 [35] [36]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
— GK Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Pedro Alves
— FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tom Beck
— FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Vinny Bell
— FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Chris Brennan
— GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Conor Cable
— DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Boban Cancar
— MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Parker Csiszar
— DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Chris Cvecko
— MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Mike Derezic
— FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Nicholas Felician
— MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Skye Harter
No.Pos.NationPlayer
— DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Conner Hollett
— DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ben Hryszko
— MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Petar Janjetovic
— MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Dan Koniarczyk
— FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Andrew Nicholas
— GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Connor Robinson
— DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Alexandru Rumleanschi
— MF Flag of Germany.svg  GER Jannis Schmidt
— MF Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  BIH Admir Suljevic
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Kieran Toland
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Josh Wates

Team management

Front office
Owner and presidentSamuel Seibert
Coaching staff
Head coachVlad Muresan
Assistant coach
  • Reid Ayers
  • Marko Gvozdenović
  • Stephen Trudic

Last updated: July 24, 2022
Source: 2022 Cleveland SC season

Head coach history

Ahead of the club's inaugural season, Cleveland SC hired Ryan Osborne as the first head coach in club history. [37] Osborne, a former player for the Charleston Golden Eagles and West Virginia Chaos, also served as an assistant coach for the Notre Dame Falcons during his time in charge of Cleveland. [38] In 2019, Cleveland claimed the East Conference and Midwest Region championships and Osborne was named as the conference coach of the year. [39] He departed after that season to take the head coaching position at Mercyhurst and was replaced by one of his assistant coaches, Lewis Dunne. [40] A former Cleveland SC player, Dunne also served as an assistant at Notre Dame during his time with the club. [41] He led Cleveland to the conference-region title double in 2021, then coached the club during its U.S. Open Cup debut in 2022. Dunne departed following that cup run to take a position as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at IUPUI. [42]

After Dunne's departure, Cleveland hired Vlad Muresan, the head boys soccer coach at the Hawken School, as his replacement. [43] Muresan, a former player for Ohio Vortex and Akron Summit Assault, led the club to a Rust Belt Conference title and a return to the Open Cup in his first year in charge. [44]

Cleveland SC head coaches
NameNationalityTenureRecord
PldWLTWin %
Ryan OsborneFlag of England.svg EnglandMarch 13, 2018 – January 16, 2020271764062.96
Lewis DunneFlag of England.svg EnglandJanuary 22, 2020 – April 14, 2022221354059.09
Vlad MuresanFlag of Romania.svg RomaniaApril 27, 2022 – present161141068.75

Honors

Cleveland SC honors
HonorNo.Years
NPSL Midwest Region2 2019, 2021
NPSL East / Rust Belt Conference32019, 2021, 2022

Club culture

Broadcasting

Cleveland SC streams all home matches online. Vince McKee, the founder of the local KEE On Sports Media Group, has served as the play-by-play commentator for every season of the club's existence, while Cole McDaniel has been the primary color commentator, calling four out of five seasons. [45] [46] For the first three years, Cleveland SC matches were on MyCujoo, the streaming partner of the NPSL; since 2021, they have been viewable on Eleven Sports. [47]

Reserve teams

In May 2019, Cleveland SC acquired the rights to Rubber City FC, a planned expansion team in the Northern Ohio Soccer League (NOSL). [48] Based in Akron, Ohio, the club had previously attempted to join the NPSL before that move fell through for financial reasons. [49] However, Rubber City never took the field after the 2020 NOSL season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, Forest City FC (FCFC) was unveiled as the new reserve side for Cleveland SC, also playing in the NOSL. The team name and crest took homage from the Cleveland Forest Citys, a professional baseball team based in the city in the early 1870s. [50] FCFC played one season, finishing last place in the NOSL in 2021. They won just one of eight games played, although several players made the jump to the CSC first team during the 2021 NISA Independent Cup. [51]

Rivalries

Akron City

Since Akron City FC joined the NPSL in 2022, Cleveland SC has had a heated rivalry with their opponents to the south. The derby has been known by many names: the North Coast Cup, [52] the I-77 Bash, [53] the Cuyahoga Valley Derby, [54] the Battle of Northeast Ohio. [55] Separated by less than 50 miles (80 km), the two clubs compete to attract many of the same players and supporters travel in number for the road matches. Cleveland has never lost to Akron City, highlighted by an 8–0 victory in the second-ever match between the teams. [53]

CheeseBarn Derby

Cleveland SC has a rivalry with fellow Ohioan NPSL club FC Columbus. Both entered the league in 2018 and are separated by less than 150 miles (240 km). [56] The derby is named after Grandpa's Cheesebarn, a landmark business that sits roughly halfway between the two cities on Interstate 71 in Ashland, Ohio. [7] When the clubs were founded, they were placed into different conferences in the NPSL, so the derby began as a series of preseason friendlies: each team claimed a victory in 2018 and they played to a 1–1 draw in 2019. [57] [58] However, beginning with the 2023 season, Cleveland and Columbus were aligned in the Great Lakes Conference. [59]

"...it's also great in any sport when you have a rivalry. Since I started six years ago, sentiment has grown to the point that I hate Erie. The games have gotten bigger and bigger. There have been red cards and fights. It is great for us and the NPSL that there are two teams that care that much about beating one another."

—Former Cleveland SC defender Coletun Long [7]

Conference opponents

Due to NPSL scheduling, which does not include inter-conference play during the regular season, Cleveland has built up competitive rivalries with Great Lakes Conference opponents Erie Commodores and Steel City FC. The cities of Cleveland and Erie are roughly 100 miles (160 km) apart, while Cleveland to Pittsburgh is about 135 miles (217 km). Games between Cleveland and the Commodores have involved fights and red cards, and the teams have frequently battled at the top of the conference. AFC Cleveland knocked Erie out of the playoffs in 2012, and Cleveland SC did so in 2018. [7] The rivalry with Steel City dates back to each city's previous clubs, AFC Cleveland and Fort Pitt Regiment, and has ties in the Browns–Steelers rivalry and the resulting animosity between the cities. [60] [61] In both 2021 and 2022, Cleveland knocked Pittsburgh out of the playoffs in the Midwest quarterfinals. [62]

Rust Belt Derby

Cleveland contested the Rust Belt Derby with FC Buffalo and Detroit City FC, a rivalry series that dated back to the AFC Cleveland era. [63] The supporters' groups of the three clubs created and sponsored the rivalry, named after the Rust Belt region in which all of the teams reside. [64] AFC Cleveland claimed the inaugural trophy in 2012, but Detroit won four in a row, before switching conferences in 2016 then moving leagues to the National Independent Soccer Association in 2020. [65] Although the derby was dormant for three years, Cleveland SC continued to face Buffalo in league play and defeated Detroit in the 2019 Midwest Region final. [66] The series resumed in 2020 and 2021, as all three clubs were drawn together in the Great Lakes Region of the NISA Independent Cup. [67] [68] However, the derby has not been played since, as Buffalo moved to USL League Two and Detroit to the USL Championship. Cleveland's 6th City Syndicate and Detroit's Northern Guard Supporters maintain hostile relations, due to the high-profile matches between the clubs and the historical sporting rivalry between the cities of Cleveland and Detroit. [69]

Year-by-year

Season League PositionPlayoffs USOC OtherTop goalscorer(s)
LeaguePldWLTGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.OverallName(s)Goals
2018 NPSL127233411+23242.02nd21st Reg.SF DNEN/AVinny Bell11
2019 10820299+20242.41st5th Nat.SF DNQVinny Bell12
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [25] NH [lower-alpha 1] NPSL Members Cup
2nd, Rust Belt
Five players [lower-alpha 2] 1
2021 10802259+16262.61st6th Nat.SF NISA Independent Cup 3rd, Great Lakes Vinny Bell7
2022 128313314+19252.081st25th Reg.F R2 N/AVinny Bell8
  1. ↑ Cleveland qualified for the U.S. Open Cup in 2020 and 2021, but the tournament was canceled both years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [70]
  2. ↑ Vinny Bell, Coletun Long, Antonio Manfut, Paolo Termine, and Szabolcs Wiksell

Cleveland SC has a record of five wins, one loss, and one tie in friendly matches. That record includes one international friendly, a victory against Mexican side Monarcas Morelia Reserves in 2019 as part of the Neighbor Nations Showdown. [71]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Crew</span> Soccer club in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. The team is currently operated by an ownership group led by the Haslam family and former team physician Pete Edwards. The Haslam/Edwards group is the third ownership group in club history. The Crew is considered to be one of the most successful clubs in MLS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Premier Soccer League</span> Football league

The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. It is the successor of the Men's Premier Soccer League, a regional league originally based in the Western United States, which has now expanded nationwide to encompass teams from 29 states. The league's motto is "A National League with a Regional Focus".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie Commodores FC</span> Soccer club

Erie Commodores FC is an American soccer team based in Erie, Pennsylvania which competes in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a nationwide amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team plays its home matches at Saxon Stadium on the campus of Mercyhurst University. In 2021, the Commodores added a pro-am women's team to play in United Women's Soccer. They also added men's and women's teams to the Ohio Valley Premier League for the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattanooga FC</span> Soccer club

Chattanooga Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 2009, the team will begin play in MLS Next Pro in 2024. Prior to joining MLS Next Pro, the club played in the National Independent Soccer Association and the Southeast Division of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Buffalo</span> Soccer club

FC Buffalo is an American soccer club based in Buffalo, New York, United States, with teams in men's and women's soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Revolution FC</span> Soccer club

Georgia Revolution FC is an American soccer club based in McDonough, Georgia, United States. The team competes in the Southeast Conference of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system. The NPSL is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup. It is generally considered to be the level of competition behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the USL Championship, USL League One, and roughly equal with USL League Two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami FC</span> American soccer team

The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFC Cleveland</span> Soccer club

AFC Cleveland was an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Cleveland suburb of Independence, Ohio. Founded in 2011 and playing its first season in 2012, the team spent six years in the fourth-tier National Premier Soccer League. After being expelled from the NPSL at the end of the 2017 season, AFC Cleveland folded and was replaced by Cleveland SC, who began play in the NPSL in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit City FC</span> Professional American soccer club

Detroit City FC (DCFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan, that competes in the USL Championship. The club played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2012 to 2019 and the National Independent Soccer Association in 2020 and 2021. Detroit City plays its home matches at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, an enclave of Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulsa Athletic</span> Soccer club

Tulsa Athletic is an American soccer team and are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The 2023 NPSL National Champion, 2013 was their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is a national league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. They compete in the NPSL's Heartland Conference. The team maintains amateur status under NPSL rules, allowing college players to participate without losing their collegiate eligibility. The club currently plays at Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park since the 2022 season, having previously played at Veterans Park (2018–21), LaFortune Stadium (2017) and Drillers Stadium (2013–16), the former home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFC Ann Arbor</span> Soccer club

AFC Ann Arbor is an American soccer club based in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a men's team that has played in USL League Two since 2020 and a women's team that has played in USL W League since 2020. The men's team played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2016 to 2019, and the women's team played in the United Women's Soccer during its inaugural 2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asheville City SC</span> American amateur soccer team

Asheville City SC is an American amateur soccer team based in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in 2016, the men's team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The women's team was founded in 2017 and played in the Women's Premier Soccer League until joining the newly-formed USL W League for the 2022 season. The team colors are blue and white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis City SC</span> American soccer club

Minneapolis City SC is an American soccer club based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2016, the team plays in the USL League Two, the top national league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club won three straight NPSL North Conference championships before joining League Two. Their nickname is The Crows, coined by the club's supporters, which comes from the "Mega Murder" of crows that roost in Minneapolis.

Riley Neal Grant is an American soccer player who plays as a defender. Previously, he played professionally for Seattle Sounders FC 2, and also appeared for AFC Cleveland and Cleveland SC, where he was used as a forward.

The 2018 National Premier Soccer League season was part of the 106th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and the 16th season of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Elm City Express was the defending champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville SC</span> American soccer club

Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in Major League Soccer in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned by John Ingram, owner of Ingram Industries, along with investors and partial owners the Turner family of Dollar General Stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Columbus</span> Soccer club

FC Columbus is a semi-professional American soccer club based in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The team is a member of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and currently plays its home matches at The Wellington School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Cincinnati</span> American professional soccer team

FC Cincinnati is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team was first announced on August 12, 2015 as a United Soccer League (USL) franchise which played from 2016 to 2018. On May 29, 2018, the club's ownership was awarded an MLS franchise, and the team began MLS play on March 2, 2019. The club's ownership group is led by Carl Lindner III with Jeff Berding serving as co-CEO. Currently, the role of general manager is held by Chris Albright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hell Is Real derby</span> Soccer rivalry between the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati

Hell Is Real is a rivalry between the two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs based in Ohio: the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati. Under current MLS regular season scheduling, the series occurs twice per season as both teams are members of the Eastern Conference. The teams first met in 2017 in the U.S. Open Cup before Cincinnati joined MLS in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron City FC</span> Soccer club

Akron City FC is an American soccer club based in Akron, Ohio, United States.

References

  1. ↑ NPSL Staff (February 19, 2018). "Cleveland SC joins the NPSL". National Premier Soccer League . Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Caswell, Ryan (April 2, 2021). "North Olmsted 6-12 Campus – Fusing Modern and Historic Styles". ThenDesign Architecture. Retrieved February 6, 2023. Athletic facilities onsite include the artificial turf field used as a football and soccer field which is ringed by a track. The stadium offers seating for 3,000 on the home team side while supporting 1,000 visitor seats.
  3. 1 2 3 Sferra, German (March 31, 2022). "From intern to owner: The story of Cleveland's soccer club". United States Soccer Federation . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ @NPSLSoccer (December 12, 2017). "NEWS: The #NPSL today announced the termination of the memberships of AFC Cleveland (@AFCCleveland) and Sports Club Corinthians USA (@SCorinthiansUSA) in line with the NPSL Bylaws for teams not in good financial standing with the league" (Tweet). Retrieved October 20, 2019– via Twitter.
  5. ↑ Johnston, Kevin (February 11, 2019). "90-day launch? No sweat for Cleveland SC". Soc Takes. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Green, Chris (February 26, 2018). "Cleveland Adds Pro Soccer Team". Stadium Journey. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Burden, Brian (December 11, 2018). "Being as Cleveland as Possible". Protagonist Soccer. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Cleveland SC added to National Premier Soccer League". WKYC . Tegna Inc. February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  9. 1 2 McKee, Vince (March 6, 2018). "Cleveland SC Announces Venue For 2018 Season". NEO Sports Insiders. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  10. ↑ McKee, Vince (March 23, 2018). "Cleveland SC Unveils New Crest And Logo". NEO Sports Insiders. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Cleveland SC victorious in inaugural NPSL match". National Premier Soccer League . May 21, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  12. ↑ Ekman, Tesh (April 30, 2019). "Cleveland's Other Football Team". Pressure Magazine. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Trickey, Erick (July 23, 2021). "Iconic Cleveland: The History Behind Cleveland's Guardians of Traffic". Cleveland Magazine . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 Vaughn, Dan (November 16, 2018). "Cleveland SC: Tying the Club to the City". Protagonist Soccer. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ @SoccerCLE (April 25, 2020). "We are extremely pleased to present our new look for 2020. We want to thank our great partners @UN1TUS @PlatformBeerco @CLECLOTHINGCO, Carbon Athletics and of course @NPSLSoccer" (Tweet). Retrieved February 7, 2023– via Twitter.
  16. ↑ "New Look for 2022!". Cleveland SC. May 13, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Nolan Jr., Chuck (March 22, 2022). "2022 US Open Cup round 1, Day 1 preview". TheCup.us. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  18. ↑ "First round of 100-team Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off with 14 games on March 21–23" (Press release). Chicago: United States Soccer Federation. February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Cleveland SC 2–0 Rochester Lancers". National Premier Soccer League . May 19, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ Kleps, Kevin (June 10, 2018). "New Cleveland semipro soccer team is off to a hot start" . Crain's Cleveland Business. Crain Communications . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ Ruple, Kevin (February 26, 2019). "Baldwin Wallace to Host Cleveland SC Games This Summer" (Press release). Berea, Ohio: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Club will play on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University" (Press release). Cleveland: Cleveland SC. February 20, 2019. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  23. ↑ Scott, DeWayne (May 26, 2021). "We've Found Our Home". Cleveland SC. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  24. ↑ @SoccerCLE (February 24, 2020). "Come support #ClevelandSC this season with April and May home games taking place at Lakewood High School and June home games taking place at Krenzler Field at #CSU. Schedule to be announced soon!..." (Tweet). Retrieved February 8, 2023– via Twitter.
  25. 1 2 "A message from Kenneth Farrell, NPSL chairman of the board". National Premier Soccer League . March 26, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  26. ↑ Perez-Krywany, Mark (July 20, 2022). "Avon native Dakota Jonke's game-winner solidifies shining moment in Cleveland SC, Pittsburgh Hotspurs rivalry". The Morning Journal . MediaNews Group . Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  27. ↑ Scott, DeWayne (May 16, 2021). "Know Your Enemy". Cleveland SC. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Don Shula Stadium at Wasmer Field". John Carroll Blue Streaks . John Carroll University. November 28, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  29. ↑ "The George Finnie Stadium". Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets . Baldwin Wallace University . Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Krenzler Soccer Field". Cleveland State Vikings . Cleveland State University . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  31. ↑ Geiselman, Bruce (August 26, 2014). "First Federal Lakewood Stadium home turf to Lakewood High, St. Ed's (photo gallery)". Cleveland.com . Advance Publications . Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  32. 1 2 "6th City Syndicate | Cleveland's Soccer Supporters". 6th City Syndicate. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Songs & Chants | 6th City Syndicate". 6th City Syndicate. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Prideraiser CLE 2021 presented by 6CS Cleveland". Prideraiser. June 27, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Club Roster | Cleveland SC". Cleveland SC. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  36. ↑ "U.S. Open Cup Roster Announcement" (Press release). Cleveland SC. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Ryan "Ozzy" Osborne Tabbed as First Cleveland SC Head Coach" (Press release). Cleveland: Cleveland SC. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Ryan Osborne – Men's Soccer Coach – Notre Dame College Athletics". Notre Dame Falcons . Notre Dame College . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  39. ↑ Butler, Craig (January 16, 2020). "Osborne Selected to Lead Mercyhurst Men's Soccer" (Press release). Erie, Pennsylvania: Mercyhurst Lakers . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Cleveland SC Corp. Announces Lewis Dunne as Next Head Coach" (Press release). Cleveland: Cleveland SC. January 22, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Lewis Dunne – Men's Soccer Coach – Notre Dame College Athletics". Notre Dame Falcons . Notre Dame College . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  42. ↑ Holdaway, Ed (April 12, 2022). "Van Druenen announces men's soccer coaching staff" (Press release). Indianapolis: IUPUI Jaguars . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  43. ↑ Petrello, Bill (May 26, 2022). "Cleveland SC Hires New Coach Vlad Muresan". NEO Sports Insiders. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Cleveland SC 2022 NPSL season". National Premier Soccer League . Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  45. ↑ McKee, Vince (March 26, 2020). "NPSL Cancels Season". KEE On Sports Media Group. Retrieved April 11, 2020. Our very own Vince McKee, Eli Mooneyham and Cole McDaniel have been the voice of Cleveland SC of the NPSL.
  46. ↑ @SoccerCLE (August 29, 2022). "🎙 Appreciation post for @SportsKee1 duo Vince McKee and @cdm_2910! This was Vince's 5th year calling our matches on the live stream and Cole's 4th year on the mic. Both are professional and talented on the mic! We thank you for joining us for another season. 👏👏👏#WeAreCLE" (Tweet). Retrieved February 10, 2023– via Twitter.
  47. ↑ "Cleveland SC at ELEVEN". Eleven Sports . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  48. ↑ Cleveland SC (May 18, 2019). "BREAKING💥: Our Club's Ownership has reached an agreement with Rubber City FC that will give Cleveland SC ownership the rights to use the Akron-based club's branding elements and name..." Facebook . Meta Platforms . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  49. ↑ Rubber City Football Club (August 15, 2018). "So NPSL is not happening for us right nowm [sic] the expansion fee is a bit much for a couple people with modest jobs, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the league and USSF. We are looking for "Non-League" options and will have an announcement soon". Facebook . Meta Platforms . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Forest City FC becomes eighth team in NOSL". Northern Ohio Soccer League. January 31, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  51. ↑ "2021 NOSL Archives". Northern Ohio Soccer League. July 3, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  52. ↑ Petrello, Bill (June 5, 2022). "Cleveland SC wins 4–1 over Akron FC in Their First Meeting of the Season". NEO Sports Insiders. Retrieved February 11, 2023. Sunday May 29th, was the inaugural battle for the mythical North Coast Cup, the twice a year match between Cleveland SC (CSC) and Akron City FC (ACFC).
  53. 1 2 Petrello, Bill (June 30, 2022). "The I-77 Bash sees Cleveland SC Find Its Scoring Punch over Akron City FC". NEO Sports Insiders. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  54. ↑ Vaughn, Dan (June 1, 2022). "NPSL Quick 3 + 1". Protagonist Soccer. Retrieved February 11, 2023. The Cuyahoga Valley Derby was a lopsided affair as Cleveland SC made the quick trip to Akron a successful one, winning 4–1 on the road.
  55. ↑ @SoccerCLE (May 28, 2022). "Only one more sleep until the battle of Northeast Ohio! 🆚@AkronCityFC..." (Tweet). Retrieved February 11, 2023– via Twitter.
  56. ↑ "Belief in Ohio Soccer Restored by FC Columbus and Cleveland SC". International Soccer Network. April 6, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  57. ↑ NPSL Media (April 17, 2018). "FC Columbus and Cleveland SC brave rain in second leg of debut series". National Premier Soccer League . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  58. ↑ NPSL Media (May 14, 2019). "Cleveland SC and FC Columbus finish with 1–1 draw". National Premier Soccer League . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  59. ↑ NPSL Media (March 1, 2023). "NPSL announces conference alignment ahead of 2023 season". National Premier Soccer League . Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  60. ↑ NPSL Media (June 11, 2018). "Fort Pitt Regiment defeats Cleveland SC 3–1". National Premier Soccer League . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  61. ↑ Krysinsky, John (July 19, 2022). "Pittsburgh Hotspurs are back in NPSL playoffs; Face rival Cleveland SC once again". Pittsburgh Soccer Now. Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved February 10, 2023. "It's definitely a rivalry. I don't think Pittsburgh and Cleveland people don't see eye-to-eye, when it comes to sports. It's fun and good for soccer here and there as well," Hotspurs' veteran midfielder/winger, Nicky Kolarac said.
  62. ↑ Perez-Krywany, Mark (July 20, 2022). "Avon native Dakota Jonke's game-winner solidifies shining moment in Cleveland SC, Pittsburgh Hotspurs rivalry". The Morning Journal . MediaNews Group . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  63. ↑ "The Rust Belt Derby". Soccer Newsday. May 2, 2012. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  64. ↑ "Announcing: The Rust Belt Derby". FC Buffalo . April 26, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  65. ↑ Kendall, Max (June 25, 2012). "Draw costs Detroit City FC Rust Belt Trophy, but maintains first place". MLive Media Group . Advance Publications . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  66. ↑ O'Connor, Larry (July 21, 2019). "'Disappointing way to lose': DCFC falls to Cleveland SC on penalty kicks". The Detroit News . Digital First Media . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  67. ↑ Scavuzzo, Dianne (July 5, 2020). "New pro soccer tournament: NISA launches Independent Cup". SoccerToday. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  68. ↑ Howard-Fusco, John (July 8, 2021). "Great Lakes Regional Preview". Protagonist Soccer. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  69. ↑ Maghielse, Ross (November 20, 2009). "Detroit-Cleveland: Both May Be Bad, but Only One City Can Be the Worst". Bleacher Report . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  70. ↑ Chatz, Joe (February 18, 2022). "U.S. Open Cup Returns: Amateur Teams Face These Roster-Building And Operations Difficulties" . Forbes . Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  71. ↑ Vaughn, Dan (February 15, 2019). "Cleveland SC Announces Friendly with Liga MX Monarcas Morelia". Protagonist Soccer. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.