The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that El Farolito (San Francisco, CA) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the West Region’s Golden Gate Conference.
“The NPSL is thrilled to add El Farolito as an expansion team for 2018,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “They bring a storied history, a passionate fan base, and an incredible gameday venue to our West Region and we couldn’t be happier to have them as part of the NPSL family.”
The club is led by Salvador and Santiago Lopez. Salvador is the founder of the club, while Santiago is the General Manager and has been in charge of the club for the past seven years.
“Very exciting times are ahead for the club and players,” Santiago Lopez added. “The chance to travel to different cities in our region and play in stadiums in front of soccer fans we have never seen before really motivates us to work hard and present a competitive squad each game. We will be playing against teams full of talented, young and experienced players ready to defend their club to the fullest. We are looking forward to a real test for everyone in our organization.”
El Farolito was founded in 1985 and was named after the chain of restaurants “Taquerias El Farolito” in Northern California. Gaining promotion to the top division of the San Francisco Soccer Football League in five years and winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 1993 were two major milestones for the organization.
“We are focused in not only to provide a professional environment to all players and staff being involved or interested in working with the organization, but we want to be another club open to connect with other clubs, players in the region and country to help grow the sport and transmit a positive and working environment,” Santiago Lopez continued. “We want to represent the league and sport locally, nationally, and internationally.”
El Farolito will play their home games at Boxer Stadium, one of the oldest soccer-specific stadiums in the country. The facility was opened in September 1953 as Balboa Park Soccer Stadium. It is now called Matthew J. Boxer Stadium in honor of the late president of the San Francisco Soccer Football League, a league that is over 100 years old.
“The NPSL has been a league that has been growing and will continue to grow,” Santiago Lopez concluded. “They are surrounded by professional, experienced, and most importantly, passionate people who love the game. The league offers an excellent structure of competition for all types of players and organizations.”
