Season: 2020
Akron United F.C.
From the ashes, Akron United FC was born. It all started in 2020, in the heart of the COVID pandemic. The shortened 2020 Season was underway, and perennial protagonists Latinos FC was competing for a place in the final. But most of its core players had left before the season, and with many new faces and new leadership, the team and its brand were officially dismantled.
Enter Akron United FC and Siempre Unidos football. Despite finishing out of the title race, there was clear hope for what the future could bring after Akron United FC defeated much-favored Dream Team FC 3-1. And yet, the season ended full of uncertainty, few trusted the project, and new players and leadership were needed. William, however, followed his passion and pushed through.
William has lived in Akron since 2003, and since then, he has always been passionate about leading his teams to reach their potential – that has gained and strained friendships, but he has held steady in his vision. He envisioned a team of great diversity in age and background, with clear organization, and a focus on the Unity of the team rather than on the individual – Siempre Unidos. Those who joined him in leadership, including Josh Kay (USA), Pedro Bossio (Colombia), Lio Nwike (Sweden/Nigeria), Tyler Sprockhoff (USA), Cesar Castro (Mexico), and Andrew Idowu (Nigeria) shared the vision. The new leaders took the team forward with players from Paraguay, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Palestine, Sweden, Nigeria, Serbia, and, of course, USA. The dream of a team united in diversity and collective force was on its way.
2021 was a year of ups and downs, with great wins and bad defeats, but it was clear the team was heading in the right direction. The inconsistency was expected in the first full transition year. In Midseason a new manager was brought in: Casey Koza, a rugby junky with a strong soccer passion, to lead the team. Akron United FC fulfilled its season goals and made the playoffs – which ended in a disappointing defeat to perennial contenders Leones FC, 1-3.
2022 saw the team come into its own. The defense and midfield kept the core of the previous two seasons – Pedro, Fede, Lio, Tyler, Noah, Nick, Andrew, Cesar, and Josh all came back, and now knew each other very well. A new GK, Orlando, came in to command the posts, and new recruits were brought in to fill gaps, particularly up front, after the team’s top scorer, Aladdin, moved out of Akron. After a shaky start, the team finished second in the standings – just short of the 1st position by goal difference. Akron United FC had the meanest defense the league has ever seen: 6 goals against in 14 games. The next best team had 20 goals against. Offense wins games, but defense wins Championships – and Akron United FC lived that to its full extent. Siempre Unidos football was shining through.
Those performances propelled the team to the final – against Leones FC. It was a hard fought, intense game that ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, crowned by a PK shootout win. Akron United FC won its first major trophy after only 3 years of existence. It was a journey from ashes to glory. Unity, organization, diversity, and loyalty to the vision move the team forward. Siempre Unidos. This is Akron United FC.
Honduras FC
Honduras has always had a strong representation in Akron. And soccer, of course, is no exception to this rule. So it was only a matter of time before a team from Honduras would make an impact in Akron’s leagues. That’s what Wilmer Torres saw in 2019, as he was playing in Jaguares: there were a lot of Honduran ingredients in the league, but no Honduran main course.
So Wilmer set his sights on gathering a Honduran contingent and bringing home players scattered around the league – a sort of “come home” invitation. And so it was that a true Honduran team was on its way. Wilmer relied heavily on players like Wilmer Amaya, Cristian Damas, Carlos Ramos, Dago Ramos, Roberto and Denis Lemus. And then came Ronald Hernandez, half Honduran, half Salvadorian, the captain and heart of the team, and Wilmer’s right hand man. That was the core of Honduras FC when they started in 2019. Of course they weren’t the only ones making an impact. Zurdo Castillo, Roland Palacios, Deinor Batiz, Henri Figueroa also made strong contributions, and the team, just as Wilmer envisioned, was strong, competitive, and passionate, eager to honor their Honduras roots together. Honduras FC reached the semifinals in their first season.
The team knew they could do better, so they pushed ahead in 2020 with new signings. Eduardo Landaverde, Jymi Murillo, Ronald and Melvin Cavarria, Geyson Martines, Erik Aguilar, Camilo Martinez, and Milton Barahona helped keep the team competitive. Jayson Amaya was signed as goalkeeper, a top competitor who added security between the posts. Ludwin Hernandez, “El Guero”, transferring from Latinos FC, brought in the goals: he finished top scorer in 2020, and propelled Honduras to the final, where they narrowly lost against FK Gavrilo Princip.
Building on the progress achieved in its first two seasons, the Honduras FC engine would run at full speed in 2021, winning it all in a tight final against Leones FC. Ludwin “El Guero” again finished top scorer, and Ronald won MVP – all the potential Wilmer saw from the beginning was finally realized. Honduras FC was a team not just to be feared, but a winning team. And how could they not, when friends and family not just from Akron, but even coming all the way from Canton and Cleveland come in mass to support their team. When you play against Honduras FC, you are always sure to encounter their supporting contingent, full of noise, food, and passion.
That is Honduras FC – a Honduran community. Even rival teams join them after the game, partaking in the usual post-game camaraderie, building a stronger soccer culture in Akron, and always honoring their country of origin. 2022 would fall short of the team’s goals, as the team failed to make it past the playoffs, but Honduras FC will be back strong. A team that has never been out of playoffs in all its 4 seasons of existence can never be counted out – not when they bring skill, passion, community, and always a winning spirit.