It took AFC Cleveland 87 minutes to get a lead, but when Antonio Manfut scored, it would be the goal to beat Sonoma County Sol FC to win the 2016 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) National Championship, 4-2. Manfut’s goal was just part of a six-goal thriller, as Sonoma County Sol FC Taylor Varnadore and AFC Cleveland’s Vinny Bell traded two goals each. AFC Cleveland’s Ryder Bell added a fourth in extra time. Photo Credit: Matthew Jones/ISNSoccer.com “(Tom) Beck got the
Photo Credit: Richard Kruszynski/NPSL.com AFC Cleveland claimed the 2016 NPSL National Championship Powered by Mitre with a 4-2 win over the visiting Sonoma County Sol FC. The match took place in front of a sellout crowd of 2,205 at Stan Skoczen Stadium in Independence, Ohio. “It’s good for the soccer community,” AFC Cleveland midfielder Tom Beck commented. “It’s good for everyone up here that loves soccer. It’s important that we continue to grow the game and hopefully AFC Cleveland can do
Photo Credit: Andrew Fonseca/Rhode Island Reds FC The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce Rhode Island Reds midfielder Isaac “Nana” Addai as the winner of the 2016 Mitre Golden Ball. Addai finished with 18 goals in the regular season. He already was named co-winner of the 2016 PUMA Golden Boot last week. “I’m very grateful to receive this award; it’s a pleasure,” Addai commented. “It’s extra special because the teams vote for you. It’s because they’ve seen what
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce the 2016 NPSL Supporters’ XI. The NPSL Supporters’ XI is an all-league team voted on by the NPSL’s fans and supporters. Online voting took place from July 24th – July 27th. The award includes First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention. Each team consists of a goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards. First Team GK Gregory Hartley, Chattanooga FC D Jake Young, Chattanooga FC D Jon Finlay, Chattanooga FC D Nikkye De Point,
The All-NPSL Team was voted on by members of the media that covered the NPSL regularly during the 2016 season. Private voting took place from July 24th – July 27th. This award now includes First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention. Each team consists of a goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards. First Team GK Gregory Hartley, Chattanooga FC D Luke Staats, Albion SC Pros D Gabriel De Souza, Boston City FC D Chris Riordan, Clarkstown SC Eagles D Nicholas “Ebby” Lombardi, Sonoma County
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that the 2016 NPSL National Championship Powered by Mitre will be taking place at Stan Skoczen Stadium at Independence High School in Independence, Ohio this weekend. The match between AFC Cleveland and the Sonoma County Sol will kick off at 7 pm ET on Saturday, August 6th. “We have a lot of great soccer talent in Northeast Ohio and it’s nice to have players from the local area playing in a
Photo Credit: Jeff Pejsa/AFC Cleveland 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
Photo Credit: Michael S. Miller Photography The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce Grand Rapids FC supporter and Grand Army member Rob Shafer as the 2016 Global Scarves Supporter of the Year. Shafer accumulated the most votes in an online voting contest that included nine finalists from across the NPSL. The Grand Army will receive 50 free custom scarves from Global Scarves as a result of this award. “We are very excited that Rob Shafer has been named Global
The Clarkstown SC Eagles will be competing for a spot in the NPSL National Championship on Saturday as they take on AFC Cleveland in the national semifinals. Clarkstown has gotten so far partly because of striker Lucas Befi’s consistently stellar play. Befi hails from Sao Paolo, Brazil, and came to the United States to play for Belhaven University, a private university located in Jackson, Mississippi. To say it was an adjustment for him would be an understatement. “The hardest thing was leaving