Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com AFC Cleveland fell to Detroit City FC by a score of 3-2 in what could be called the most hotly contested match of the NPSL season. “What’s happened is that we have developed a really great rivalry,” DCFC co-owner Sean Mann commented. “It’s the class of the NPSL in a lot of ways. It’s fun to have two good teams playing in front of packed stadiums.” The Royals were the first on the board thanks to a header from
“The Battle for Ohio” took place Friday night between AFC Cleveland and Zanesville Athletic FC at Krenzler Field on the Cleveland State University campus. The coveted Presidential Cup, the first piece of hardware awarded in the 2013 NPSL season, went to AFC Cleveland in a 3-2 win and a 6-4 score on aggregate. Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com The Royals came into the match leading the Presidential Cup standings thanks to a 3-2 AFC Cleveland victory against Zanesville on May 19th. A great
Red cards change games and that was certainly the case as AFC Cleveland fell 2-0 to FC Buffalo at Krenzler Field. The game was knotted at 0-0 for most of the match until 2 red cards, that’s right 2 red cards, gave Buffalo a serious advantage. The result was 2 goals scored in an amount of 10 minutes. The first was a penalty kick by FCB midfielder Ian Mort in the 86th minute. The second goal came from another Buffalo midfielder, Ozzy
The National Premier Soccer League is proud to announce its seventh National Player of the Week for the 2013 regular season. Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com The winner, for the week ending May 19th, is AFC Cleveland forward Vinny Bell. A two-time NSCAA All-American at Case Western Reserve, Bell has been a stalwart in the Royals’ attack. He was able to score a total of three goals in matches against Detroit City and Zanesville Athletic in a single weekend. Bell is the epitome of
An undermanned AFC Cleveland traveled to Hurley Field on Sunday night to face newcomer FC Sparta Michigan, a team that defeated the Royals 1-0 to open the NPSL regular season. It was more of the same as Sparta came away with a 2-1 home win over the Ohio side. Cleveland was without several key players, including several starters like Tommy Schmitt and Ruairidh Winters. The Royals went on the board early with a 2nd minute goal from forward Tommy Granot. But Sparta
Photo Credit: Rob Ivory/ISNSoccer.com If you liked goals then you would have enjoyed yourself at Krenzler Field Friday night as AFC Cleveland drew with the Erie Admirals on a 3-3 scoreline. “Probably both teams had opportunities to win, but I don’t think anyone really deserved to,” AFC Cleveland head coach Andy Hoggarth stated. “We’ll take the draw.” It was hard to figure out how the match would end thanks to the back and forth action in this fast and physical match. “The draw was
Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com The Battle for Ohio is usually reserved for the Indians and the Reds or the Browns and the Bengals. But this weekend the Battle for Ohio was all about the NPSL as AFC Cleveland hit the road to face newcomer Zanesville Athletic FC in a weekend of firsts. It was the first home match for ZAFC, the first meeting between Zanesville and Cleveland, and the first-ever Presidential Cup match. What’s the Presidential Cup? The teams’ faithful are
Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com Jesus Ginez and FC Sparta Michigan spoiled AFC Cleveland’s home opener on Friday night with a sneaky goal in the 89th minute. The goal gave the visiting side a 1-0 victory in their first-ever NPSL game. It was an even match with both teams having their share of scoring chances. Vinny Bell and Tommy Schmitt were both effective in the attack for the hometown Royals, a squad that held an edge in possession on the night. Bell would
FC Sparta Michigan will play their home matches at Hurley Field in Berkeley, MI. The team is led by CEO Eric Kallis, Director of Operations James Babb, and Head Coach George Kallis. “Fans should know that our club is not only instilling the concept of winning in the minds of our players but the concept that hard work will lead to success,” Eric Kallis stated. Sparta joins a vibrant soccer market with great tradition and talent, something the organization has embraced in