Category: Sidewinder Insider

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

If the weather forecast is correct, Friday in McDonough, Georgia, will be a beautiful night for The Beautiful Game.

And that means the stars will finally come out for the Greenville Football Club.

Five and a half months after it was formed, the Upstate of South Carolina’s entry in the National Premier Soccer League begins its inaugural season with a road match against Georgia Revolution FC.

The contest is set for 7:30 p.m. at Henry County High School Stadium.

“I think we have some strong leadership and experience, particularly down the spine of the team,” Greenville FC head coach Lee Squires said.  “(Defender) Willie Hunt has played professionally for years and has great leadership qualities.  And then the Furman guys, (defender) Dalton Souder and (midfielder) Danny Kierath, will be key with leadership and their home field advantage early on.”

The club rolled out its roster late last month, which includes goalkeeper Paul Tyson, defenders Lewis Norvock and Aiden Wixted, midfielders Miguel Teos, Julien Coulomb and Laurence Wyke, and attackers Ignacio Monchetti, Lee Wattam and Malcom Frago.

Hunt, a Greer native, has spent time in the North American Soccer League and United Soccer League. He played for the Atlanta Silverbacks from 2011-13.

“Of course we need our goalkeeper to be a big presence, too,” Squires said. “But each guy will be aiming to step up in their own way.”

The mixture of youth and experience sets the stage for a club that should be competitive – and entertaining – from the outset.

“I think we have a very balanced roster that is capable of adapting to different challenges and has the ability to win games in various ways,” Squires said. “All that matters early on is wins, and we’ve stressed to the players this week that we can add layers to our performances and create our identity or brand throughout the season.

“Bu with such limited time together before Friday’s opener, winning is all that matters. But I do think we will be very exciting to watch.”

The Revolution was formed in 2010 and began play in the NPSL a year later.

Last season the club struggled to a 3-4-11 overall record and was 0-3-9 in the NPSL, but looks to bounce back in 2018.

The squad is led by midfielder Scott Redding, a Wofford product, and features three other players who were on last year’s team; forward Devon Patterson, defender Adam McCabe and 2017 team MVP, defender George Rodriguez.

Steo Magennis, boss of the Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies, is in his first season as head coach of the Revs.

Both the hosts and visitors compete in the Southeast Conference Division of the NPSL South Region.

So how much scouting has Squires done on his club’s opening night foe?

“Honestly, very little,” he said. “Not to be disrespectful to the Revs, but we have so much going on with ourselves which has taken all our efforts and attentions.  We know the Revs will be strong opposition and well-coached and we need to be ready, but everything has been about bringing us together quickly. Also, every summer league team is largely different year to year, and no one has all of their players available yet, so there’s not too much to go on.

“We’ll be well prepared and ready for the challenge.”

Greenville FC begins the home portion of its schedule May 12 when Inter Nashville FC comes to Stone Stadium for a 7 p.m. start.

For ticket information, go to www.gvlfc.com.

The 1970 World Cup final was the first soccer match I ever saw on TV … and I saw it on a six-month delay.

ABC’s Wide World of Sports rebroadcast the final between Brazil and Italy on Dec. 26 of that year, even though the match was actually played on June 21, 1970, in Mexico City.

Brazil won, 4-1, with Pele scoring the first goal and ending his World Cup career with three titles.

As a 9-year-old in Birmingham, Alabama, I was mesmerized by the skill and artistry of the game. And seeing more than 100,000 fans in the stands – singing, chanting and cheering – left an indelible mark.

If I had to pinpoint one thing that ignited my passion for The Beautiful Game, this would be it.

Soon I was learning everything I could learn about soccer, and trying to get up to speed on world class players such as George Best, Johan Cruyff, Eusebio and Sepp Maier.

Still, soccer was not something easily accessible for an American fan in the American South, at least not in the 1970s.

Except for occasional blurbs in the local newspaper, the library was the only place where I could learn about the game.

That’s why to this day I still owe a debt of gratitude to three names you might not even recognize – Clay Berling, Toby Charles and Zander Hollander. These were men who brought the game to me through word and voice.

Berling published a biweekly newsletter called “Soccer West” in 1971 and a year later it went national as “American Soccer” magazine.

What morphed into “Soccer America” became my go-to source for the sport, and I cheerfully parted with my allowance in order to pay for a subscription and read great work from great writers.

Berling, who died last October, was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1995, honored as one of the sport’s builders in the United States.

In 1976, however, I was introduced to both the TV series “Soccer Made In Germany” and the annual publication “The Complete Handbook of Soccer.”

For me, it completed an association football holy trinity.

Charles provided play-by-play for truncated broadcasts of West German competition, an hour of soccer beamed into my home each week thanks to the Public Broadcasting System.

One of his most famous phrases, reserved for off-target shots, was “high, wide and not too handsome,” but the fact that he had such knowledge of the game increased my knowledge of the game. Thanks to YouTube I can still hear his terrific voice – and get a taste of “Soccer Made In Germany.”

As for Hollander, who spent much of his career editing encyclopedias of every major sport, I’ll be forever grateful for “The Complete Handbook Of Soccer.”

The first was published in 1976, and I own two copies.

Shoot, I still read one from time to time; the other is on display in my fan cave.

What made it such a valuable resource for me was that it featured previews of each North American Soccer League team, profiles of 100 of the NASL’s top players, an overview of the American Soccer League, a breakdown of college soccer, and a handful of  features.

One story in the 1976 edition, written by Andrew Cagen, profiled NBA legend Bob Cousy, who had taken over as commissioner of the ASL.

Who knew?

Until the handbook came out, I certainly didn’t.

Hollander died in 2014, but I like to think he’d be pleased to know that my bookshelf is stocked with much of his work.

By 1976, I felt as “caught up” on soccer as I could possibly be.

Between reading “Soccer America” and “The Complete Handbook Of Soccer” and watching “Soccer Made In Germany” to the soundtrack of a Welsh broadcaster, my love for the game was cemented forever. It led me to build a makeshift goal in my backyard and go on to enjoy a highly undistinguished high school playing career.

So, if you ever ask me who my “heroes” are in the sport, the names Berling, Charles and Hollander won’t be the names you expect.

They will, however, be the names you’ll hear.

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

When it comes to soccer, Greenville FC head coach Lee Squires was a quick study right from the start.

A native of Sheffield, England, Squires decided to come stateside to play the game collegiately. By the time he was done at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, he was the leading scorer (67 goals) in school history.

He was also a three-time All-American and twice named Conference Carolinas Player of the Year.

After competing in the Premier Development League, he returned to LMC as a 23-year-old coach, and in four seasons guided the Bobcats to a 40-29-7 record.

But it was after he moved on to Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, when he hit his stride as a mentor.

Just three seasons into his career there, Squires has compiled a 41-11-6 worksheet. Aside from the impressive record, his resume includes three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two Peach Belt Conference championships and he has been named the PBC Coach of the Year for two seasons in a row.

After the Bearcats’ 2017 campaign, which also included a title in the PBC tourney, Squires could’ve spent this summer taking a break.

He didn’t.

Instead, he’s breaking in new players comprising a new team, as Greenville FC preps for its inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League.

The expansion club opens at the Georgia (Hampton) Revolution on Friday, May 4, and plays its first home match at Stone Stadium on May 12 when Inter Nashville FC comes in for a 7 p.m. contest.

So how challenging is it to go from coaching an established college team to leading one that represents the Fourth Division of United States soccer?

“The biggest difference coaching college and NPSL, especially a team starting from scratch, is blending the team together in such a short space of time,” Squires said. “In college, you often get a number of returners but since this is our first year with GVLFC, everyone is new.  We start training May 1st, with the first game May 4th, so not much time for us to come together.  Also, we have looked to recruit the best of the college players and some high level older age players, to the standard across the board is expected to be higher.”

Squires got the first look at Greenville FC hopefuls when they played Anderson University last month in a trialist exhibition.

“I was very impressed with the number and quality of trialists,” Squires said. “The tryout sold out quickly, showing the buzz for the team in the city.  We narrowed it down from 70 to 10, to join some players currently signed with us, to compete against Anderson University the next day and it was a very close game in which we led for most of it. There’s a small handful from those 10 that have been offered a spot on the team.”

Once the team is put together, Squires will have little time to find out its personality considering the small window between training camp and opening day.

“For me, the players dictate the formation,” Squires explains. “We have to assess quickly what we have and how best to fit the pieces together.  But hopefully my preferred style of play will be evident.  I like technical players who can play with intensity and quality.  I like my teams to play attacking football and be entertaining to watch.  But again, all will be dictated by the players we have.

“There’s many ways to win a game and we have to find the way the works for us, as quickly as possible.”

As Squires mentioned, the club has already created positive buzz around town and when they start playing in front of fans they’ll already have a supporters group in the form of the Mill Town Operatives.

“It is vital to have a strong supporters group and the Mill Town Operatives have been fantastic so far,” Squires said.  “They are the heart and soul of the club and what provides the club with its identity.  They can and will play a huge role, not only at games, but in helping the club grow and spreading the word.”

The goal for the inaugural season, of course, is to put a competitive squad on the pitch and make some noise in the NPSL Southeast Conference. Greenville FC’s opponents include Asheville City FC, Atlanta Silverbacks FC, Chattanooga FC, Emerald Force (Knoxville) FC, and the New Orleans Jesters, as well as Georgia and Nashville.

Beyond that, Squires hopes to see the club grow into the best it can be while maintaining its community soccer identity.

“Promotion/relegation is a hot topic here in the U.S.” Squires said.  “It seems to work in the rest of the world, so why not here?! I think it would be great to see a city like Greenville have a pro team and earn promotion.  It’s just whether it is sustainable long term.”

Squires then laughed.

“I’m not paid to make those decisions!”

For more information about the club, including ticket information, visit www.gvlfc.com.