As soccer continues to be one of the fastest growing sports in America and Texas, San Marcos has decided to join the trend with a team of their own- River City SC. The new team, which is joining the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) in Spring 2020, went public as they signed their first 24 players on Saturday at Industry in San Marcos.
The roster was named after the team’s official tryouts on Friday, Feb.15 and Saturday, Feb. 16, which saw a turnout of over 40 athletes. The 24 players selected hailed from across the state and over the border from Wimberley, TX to Tijuana, Mexico in search of a semiprofessional career.
22-year old Toye Abodera, who hails from Houston, TX, is one of the new signees of the team and said he hopes to have fun and look towards the future.
“It’s a small step to a bigger stage,” Abodera said. “I’m a big character so I joke around a lot. I’m a goofball on and off the field, and people enjoy being around me.”
Toye’s teammates Trevor Blass, a 22-year old from Wimberley, TX, and Samuel Yanez, a 16-year old from Beeville, TX, seemed to agree as they laughed along with Toye.
As the youngest on the team, Yanez said he knows he has a lot to prove and is ready to play and be a good teammate.
“I expected a lot of fitness coming out, but I knew what I was getting into,” Yanez said. “I want to help us work as a team as much as I can to succeed.”
Head Coach and general manager Cade Summers said that the team wants to provide a stepping stone for these players. Summers, a former UPSL soccer player of the FC Knights based out of Killeen, has been the head of the RCSC organization since its founding in 2019 and is eager to prove to San Marcos and the soccer community as a whole that they are here to stay.
“Our main goal is to get these guys to the next level,” Summers said. “We’re bridging the gap between Austin and San Antonio. This team means everything for this community. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
The team will see the field in a game situation for the first time as they head to Houston for a scrimmage this weekend. Blass said that the team is ready to take that first step and figure themselves out on the field.
“There’s a lot of potential here, and we’re looking to take this as far as we can go,” Blass said. “I’m excited for our first game next week in Houston. It’s our first step, so we might be a little shaky, but we’ve got a lot of good players and we’re ready to progress from there.”
River City is set to join the Spring 2020 season and will be announcing their schedule shortly. For now, the team’s home venue will be San Marcos High School’s stadium.
River City SC and its 24 new signees will have their first chance to prove themselves in a scrimmage against the Texas Hawks FC on Saturday in Houston, TX.