Original article courtesy of MLive by Fletcher Sharpe...I hold nothing against this author and everything against FC Sharta. Although all factual and grammatical mistakes are left in their original form, and thus add to the hilarity of this article.
Right next to The Pontiac Silverdome, home of the Detroit Mechanix Ultimate Frisbee team is Featherstone Fieldhouse. Inside of this modest looking arena, is a field full of young athletes now known as FC Sparta Michigan, the newest addition to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
Soccer teams play on soccer fields...not frisbee fields. And I highly doubt the field is full. Everyone knows the Canadian team only had one player at the tryouts. And right off the bat, the article is full of poor navigational skills. The Sparta team from Windsor playing out of Berkley practicing in Pontiac. So many wrong turns.
Until recently, not much was known about the expansion club, aside from the fact that the club came from Canada, and will be going head-to-head with second-year NPSL club Detroit City FC both on and off the field.
Sixteen years in Canada is better than ONE year in Detroit. They've rotated through seven names as an American team. As well as multiple logos and unnumerable websites...
Windsor Spartans FC
Spartans FC Michigan
FC Spartans Michigan
Michigan Spartans FC
FC Sparta Michigan
FC Spartan Michigan FC Sparta Michigan
We've played in Michigan, Canada, and Europe (training squads in Portugal, Greece and Italy) and we came to Michigan because the talent pool is big," said Kallis. "We chose Berkley because it was the first field available to us when we made the switch to here, and it's a nice field. It's pretty close to downtown as well."
Note. "FROM CANADA" They couldn't cut it as Canadians...so they pretend to be from Detroit. (Although play in Berkley, which is not Detoirt.)
Detroit HAS a team already. Detroit City Football Club, Sparta isn't Detroit's team, they can't even compete. DCFC supporters have known a lot about the expansion club...they have one fan, one player, and pretty much won't be around past next year.
Known as Windsor FC Spartans (or FC Windsor Spartans for some), the club has been around roughly 15 years, says Eric Kallis, one of the Sparta coaches.
Wait. Could someone please point me to a map? Berkley? Where the heck is Berkley? Competing with a team FROM Detroit, with Detroit in its name, for Detroit fans...and you pretend you aren't Canadian by practicing in Berkley? Hah.
And, for the record, Windsor is closer to downtown Detroit than Berkley. For those of you unaware...Sparta IS a city in Michigan, just on the opposite side of the state. Apparently they really can't read a map.
FC Sparta enters a crowded minor league soccer market. The Michigan Bucks, one of the most successful Premier Development League (PDL) clubs in North America since 1996, is based at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac. Detroit City FC plays their home games downtown at Cass Tech. So what makes FC Sparta different from Detroit City FC and the Michigan Bucks, the two existing minor league soccer teams in the Detroit area?
Yes, pray tell...what makes you different than us? Answer...
Easy to destroy ON and OFF the field.
"Compare our philosophy to theirs," said director of player development James Babb. "We want to develop players to get them better. It's not fair to the player if we do not do that. We aren't going to try to hold players back, either. We want our players to progress, and get ready for the next level."
Obviously, DCFC and the Bucks want to hold their players hostage in semi-pro soccer forever. Oh wait? A former DCFC player signed a contract in MLS? Darn...there goes that theory (Congrats Kofi!).
P.S. We have 15 returning players. Obviously, DCFC's doing something right.
Babb echoed Kallis' praise of the talent that exists in the area.
And the talent cannot wait to kick your butt on May 31.
"Southeast Michigan is known for its soccer. We figured we would pick up and start here where there is more talent. The move had been planned for awhile, but this felt like the right time to come over," said Babb.
And 2014 will feel like the right time to go away.
Sparta plans to build their roster purely from players who are from Michigan or play in Michigan -- 'no ringers' as Babb put it.
But training camp is in Canada? That's Pure Michigan.
Does a ringer brought in-state by another team (AKA the Bucks) that leaves for your team violate your "no ringer policy?" All the players listed below are from better leagues than the NPSL. AND many are from out of state.
Head coach George Kallis is expecting to come out boots blazing.
Blazing=flames="Down in flames"...hard to run with your cleats are on fire.
"We expect to give a good run for the money," said Kallis. "We want to come out strong and hold possession. We will play strict and organized with simple passing. Short and simple passing."
Oh you mean, you're going to play soccer? I'm glad the Canadians caught on to staying in position...would hate to feel like I was watching five year olds chase the ball all the time.
I could make some rude comments about short and simple minds...but I'll refrain.
Kallis is on board with the philosophy of using local players because often times they are familiar with each other and he expects that to translate to fluid play on the field.
There expects to be some familiar faces when FC Sparta opens their inaugural season.
Like player's parents in the stands?
Former Michigan Bucks standout Tommy Catalano is expected to give the offense some extra punch. Catalano led the PDL in assists last year and was an All-League selection. In addition, one of his highlights included scoring a goal and assisting on the game-winner in the Bucks' historic upset of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Why in the world would he leave "the most successful Premier Development League teams in North America" for a semi-pro team with no experience...maybe he tore his ACL or something in the off-season and forgot to tell Sparta.
TJ Gore, another local player who spent time with the Bucks, brings some professional experience to the Sparta roster, having played for the Rochester Rhinos after a successful college career at the University of Vermont.
Nothing against these players, but again...it's a bit strange that professionals are downgrading to SPARTA. Remember...No ringers from out of state. University of Vermont---Out of state, Rochester Rhinos---Out of State
Paul "Bim" Ogunyemi made a name for himself playing his college ball at national power Schoolcraft. He traveled across the country and spent time with the Portland Timbers organization, where he starred for the Timbers U23 team that won the 2010 PDL championship while finishing undefeated, a rare feat in the league. He recently returned to the Detroit area and played for the Bucks last year where he scored a goal for them in a US Open Cup win over Jersey Shore Boca.
Yes. He singlehandedly won the PDL championship and went undefeated. Pretty sure you don't need any other players.
I'll hand it to Sparta, Ogunyemi is as close to a native Michigander as they come. Buuuut Schoolcraft as a national powerhouse? It's a community college, not even part of the NCAA. Also, their mascot is the Ocelot.
Another name that stands out on the team's tryout list is former University of Michigan standout Hamoody Saad, the brother of Sporting Kansas City striker Soony Saad.
While still being relatively young, Ogunyemi, with his experience, could find himself in a leadership role for the team.
"Getting the team together would be the first step," said Ogunyemi, who was drafted 17th overall by FC Dallas in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft. "We want to make sure everyone on the team understands that they are equals. No egos, no superstars."
Yes, you need to assemble a team before you can play a game. No ringers=no egos=Equals Sounds like a load of political correctness.
Gore finds himself in a similar situation.
"I'll serve as a veteran even though I'm not that old, yet, to help the younger players," said Gore. "Anything I can do to help, I will. We have a lot of talent on our roster. It's really a shame we can't compete in the Open Cup this year, I'm sure we'd turn some heads. We have a solid nucleus."
The Open Cup? You will be lucky to win ONE game this year.
Ogunyemi, inished "Every day, I let them know, everyday is a chance to get better. Train hard and the hard work pays off."
Unfortunately, training camps in Canada aren't doing anyone in Michigan a favor. Train here or go home. DCFC supporters prefer the latter. Why don't you just "forget" to come back over the Ambassador Bridge.
There are two teams for FC Sparta Michigan, their NPSL team, which is the senior team, and their USL Under-20 squad which will, as the name suggests, be comprised of younger players, and used for development over the summer.
Too bad there won't be anywhere for them to develop into.
Sparta opens up their inaugural NPSL season against defending conference champion AFC Cleveland on May 10 in Parma, Ohio. Two days later, the first Michigan derby will begin as they host Detroit City FC at Hurley Field in Berkley.
Pretty sure a "derby" requires a rivalry and a rivalry requires respect and respect requires a game. DCFC is going to run them off the field. Literally.
"They have way more fans than us," quipped head coach Kallis, which incited laughed among the coaching staff, "They're intense. But this is between FC Sparta and Detroit City. We're going to go and show them what we've got. It won't be a boxing match."
Did they just laugh at us for having fans? Well, most of the DCFC "fans" aren't really fans...they're supporters. You might be able to recruit players, and their parents and friends might cheer you on. But DCFC has the heart of Detroit and so you'll be faced with endless repetition of City 'Til I Die...and you very may well want to crawl into the hole you just came out of.
DCFC has over 4000 likes on FB. Sparta has 30. DCFC has the support of THREE supporters groups (Northern Guard, Motor City Supporters, and Le Rouge Supporters). Sparta (Windsor), as noted in their Wiki article has none. MCS ensured all know they do. not. support. Sparta. "We are not an FC Sparta Supporters Group nor are we affiliated with this team. We are simply reporting this news. We are a Detroit City FC Supporters Group."
And with that, a rivalry may have been born.
No. It wasn't.
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