Antonio Manfut has taken an interesting path with his soccer career that has landed him in the NPSL national semifinals with AFC Cleveland. The Royals will face off against Clarkstown SC Eagles tomorrow in what should be a closely contested match.
Manfut played his high school soccer in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. While most high school athletes look to continue their career in college, Manfut took a different route.
“I was going to attend college but I wasn’t sure what I was going for,” he explained, “So I left to tryout in Mexico and played down there for three months.”
After his stint in Mexico, Manfut returned to the United States to continue his soccer career. He signed with the Syracuse Silver Knights of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL), a professional indoor league. With the MASL playing during a different time than the NPSL, Manfut has played in both leagues the past few years to keep his skills sharp. There are differences in the leagues’ styles of play though.
“The MASL is a lot faster and has more of a tighter area to play,” Manfut said, “The players all play at a high level. They are older and very smart and very technical.”
The midfielder/forward finished this past MASL season by posting 15 goals in 16 games. He has since been a steady contributor for AFC Cleveland, tallying two goals and three assists for the season. In a U.S. Open Cup match earlier this year, Manfut scored Cleveland’s lone goal in a 1-0 victory over the Portland Phoenix. He also scored the game-winning penalty kick against AFC Ann Arbor in a playoff match earlier this month. Obviously, the midfielder has proved he can be relied on when it counts.
Now AFC Cleveland and Manfut find themselves battling for a spot in the NPSL National Championship. Cleveland has gotten this far due to their work ethic and determination, according to Manfut.
“We stick to our game plan and strategy no matter who we play and we execute it well.”
Manfut and his team has been preparing all week for tomorrow’s big match. He says the team’s mindset is to continue working hard and to stay confident.
“They’ll have 11 versus our 11,” he said, “We’ll just go out and play our best. We’ll do what we do and whoever is the better team will come out on top.”
