By Jason Davis
Let’s not mince words here. Cal FC, the United States Adult Soccer Association team out of Thousand Oaks, California, is Eric Wynalda’s carefully crafted “eff you” to American soccer. To call it anything else is to be naive, romantic, or both, and while the story of Cal FC is most certainly an uplifting tale of a bunch of second-chancers taking it to bigger, fully professional clubs in this year’s U.S. Open Cup, their success is a consciously manipulated reflection of their coach, the bombastic U.S. legend slash Fox Soccer broadcaster slash international scout for a small Mexican club. Wynalda wants to teach American soccer a harsh lesson. Cal FC is the rod with which he intends to teach it.
Wynalda formed Cal FC just over a month ago, just in time for the club to be entered into the U.S. Open Cup. The roster is made up of aspiring professionals and young soccer journeyman, politely said to be “in between” gigs. Cal FC’s best player is Danny Barerra, a former U.S. youth international who spent last year with a Serbian club, where he made a grand total of one appearance. Barerra’s two goals in Cal FC’s 4-0 thumping of third division (USL-PRO) side Wilmington earned him player of the round. Both goals were assisted by Danny’s brother Diego, a former Hammerhead and professional indoor player. It was that win, with Wynalda on the sidelines (he missed Cal FC’s first round game, a win over the reigning Premier Development League champion Kitsap Pumas, because he was on duty with Fox in Germany for the Champions League final), that sent a shiver through the American soccer establishment.
Wynalda’s soccer career—from his days in Germany contradicting conventional wisdom about American players and defying U.S. Soccer’s attempts to bring him into line for the country’s turn as World Cup hosts in 1994, to his current status as American soccer iconoclast/pariah/agitator on TV, podcast and social media—is a study in classic star athlete persona. As a player, Wynalda went about his job as men supremely confident in their abilities do, often casting any success as their result of their own will and any setback as either jealous conniving or simple stupidity on the part of others. That attitude carried over to his post-playing career, where he set himself apart with provocative pronouncements on the state of soccer in America.
After a stint as an ESPN MLS analyst that saw him fired, perhaps for inadvisably comparing flares in the stands at a Chicago Fire game to the wildfires happening in California at the time, Wynalda moved on to the less restrictive environs of Fox Soccer. There, he held court on a weekly phone-in show, letting fly with the type of opinion that marks his current status in the game. Twitter, which allows him to directly confront the status quo and butt heads with soccer figures around the country, has only grown his persona. The general tone: everyone is doing everything wrong, and I could do it better.
Hence, Cal FC. It seems Wynalda finally had enough of MLS rejection, with no club appearing too keen on bringing in a brash, rebellious American with no coaching experience and a penchant for insubordination to coach their team. It’s no secret that Wynalda covets a head coach’s job in MLS, a league to which Wynalda is forever uncomfortably tied (he scored the league’s first-ever goal in 1996) despite his stated belief that MLS ruined his playing career; the roadblocks to his gaining one of those jobs include the aforementioned lack of experience, an unwillingness on Wynalda’s part to work his way up the ladder as an assistant or coach of a team at a lower level, and the relatively small top-level professional soccer community’s dim view of Wynalda’s disruptive anti-MLS act.
Wynalda hasn’t handled the rejection all that well. Upon the hiring of the just-retired Jay Heaps as new head coach of the New England Revolution in December, Wynalda let his raw jealousy get the better of him.
“I wanna go on the record and announce that I was a HORRIBLE soccer player. Can I now be considered for an MLS coaching position?” he tweeted.
Wynalda’s filter is non-existent. He feels wronged by a league he helped build in a country for whose national team he gave his heart and soul. He’s never been one to play the game of backslaps and handshakes. He values his right to speak his mind, and while that would be laudable if he didn’t exhibit so much angst over his place in the American game, it only serves to make him an increasingly unsympathetic figure as he roams across the figurative soccerscape, vaporizing bridge after bridge with an arsenal of fiercely held opinions. It’s difficult to feel for a man who went out of his way to set himself outside of the system when he complains that he’s not being given a chance to work within it.
On Wednesday night, Wynalda’s traveling band of giant-killers heads to Portland, where Cal FC will face the first MLS opponent on Wynalda’s Eff You Tour. The game could very well be a tipping point for not just Wynalda, but for the U.S. Open Cup tournament itself; a win for Cal FC would inject immeasurable life into a competition that remains an afterthought for most MLS clubs, giving the tournament—in a concrete, rather than hypothetical sense—the David and Goliath dynamic boosters point to as one of Open Cup’s charms. As Davids go, Cal FC is quintessential.
Riding shotgun on this underdog story is Wynalda’s effort to thumb his nose at everyone that dismissed his constant ranting as hot air. Cal FC, a team put together so recently that in any other situation its success would be an indictment of American soccer on the whole (and, depending on who you talk to, it still might), is the physical representation of Wynalda’s soccer id. Coaching the team to a victory over an MLS club, especially considering his history with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson (Wynalda, in one of his more notable Twitter episodes, questioned Portland’s signing of young Colombian striker Jose Valencia when it was revealed Valencia had a pre-existing knee injury that required surgery; Paulson fired back, calling Wynalda “a frickin Twitter trainwreck”) would give Wynalda a lifetime of ammunition with which to lay waste to the community that refuses to take him seriously.
Wynalda’s words wouldn’t be just words anymore. He’d have something to point to, an achievement that spoke directly to his understanding of the game. The makeup of his team would serve as an indictment of American soccer and its scouting practices. Victory over an MLS club would demonstrate directly that Wynalda’s contention that he knows better is at least partly true. The ramifications of Cal FC advancing past Portland are almost too delicious, and at the same time horrifying, to ponder.
Still, it’s naturally difficult to root against Cal FC, underdogs that they are. Wynalda’s the story because he has the name and the simmering resentment, but there are several players in his group that might jumpstart their careers because of the cup run. Despite his apparent, but unstated, desire to turn American soccer on its head, Wynalda certainly cares about his players and believes many of them should get a chance in MLS or elsewhere. Wynalda works at dual purposes; if his team plays well on the biggest stage available to them, he sticks it to the league that won’t give him a chance to coach, while his players prove they deserve another chance to play.
It’s worth nothing the Cal FC play in old Chicago Fire jerseys. Chicago, with whom Wynalda ended his career in 2001, is one of the teams that turned him down for their head coaching vacancy a few years ago. Wynalda dresses his team of amateurs in the garb of an MLS team while he takes them across the country with a mind to teach that league a lesson. It’s too perfect to be coincidence.
On Wednesday in Portland, the most intriguing U.S. Open Cup match in years, certainly this early in the tournament, will determine if the Eric Wynalda Eff You Tour gets another date. Even if it doesn’t, don’t expect Wynalda to go silent. He’ll still be on television, providing quality analysis as part of Fox Soccer’s studio crew. He’ll still be in the American soccer conversation, advocating a season switch and declaring the powers that be incompetent in their leadership. He’ll still maintain he has the credentials to be the head coach of an MLS team.
A loss in Portland on Wednesday night won’t change much about the way Eric Wynalda relates to American soccer.
But a win? That’s one hell of an eff you.
Who wrote this? Fantastic writing, fantastic (if horrifying) story.
Jason Davis, in the by-line!
I like it! I know who I’m rooting for – Go Cal FC! All sport needs characters, whether unsavoury characters or heroes. Controversy is what makes any sport worth watching, because it allows you to choose a side, and I know whose side i’m on. :)
So a win over what is more than likely to be a Timbers reserve side somehow justifies all the hot air Whinealda has put out there? I was with you until the end, Jason.
Very likely it will be the opposite. The Timbers don’t have another MLS match until June 17th. I expect the Timbers XI to be starters for Wednesday.
The Timbers played an intense Cascadia match on Saturday, and if they win this they will be playing Seattle next Tuesday… AND 5 of their players are off on international duties… AND two of the would-be likely starters, Chabala and Fucito, were injured in the Reserve league match on Sunday… AND the US Open Cup only allows you to suit up 5 foreign players. As a result, expect a heavily reserve laden side.
RB-Braun CB-Horst CB-Mosquera* LB-Jewsbury
CDM- Chara*
RW- Songo’o* ACM- Nagbe* LW- Alexander
ST- Boyd*
There ya go.
*= Foreign
G – Perkins
RB – Jewsbury; CB Horst; CB Mosquera*; LB Smith*
RW – Zizzo; CDM Chara*; ACM Nagbe*; LW Zizzo
S – Boyd*
F – Fucito (if healthy) or Richards
G – Perkins
RB – Jewsbury; CB Horst; CB Mosquera*; LB Smith*
RW – Zizzo; CDM Chara*; ACM Nagbe*; LW Alexander
S – Boyd*
F – Fucito (if healthy) or Richards
Great article and I’m rooting for Cal FC. But I have to know … how did Wynalda come up with a set of Chicago Fire uniforms? Hilarious!
played a friendly with Bargain Harold shirts and everyone swapped at the end….. :)
I doubt it will be a reserve side, as the Timbers don’t have another game in the league until June 17. Probably a mixture of the two.
Oh, I’m pretty sure Portland is coming out to play. Wynalda’s lucky he’s even allowed at Jeld-Wen.
I kind of agree with Wynalda. Look at the shlubs coaching in the MLS. I am sure he could have coached Portland to an 0-9 start.
He would be good for ratings and buzz. Loud mouth coaches always sell.
he could be the Phil Helmuth of MLS. hope he ‘proves’ his point.
Thanks Rich and Jason for bringing this awesome soap opera to out attention
So, I can’t criticize winning the 2 games that much (as wins are obviously better than losses) … but it isn’t like his team has beaten anyone of note to get to this game (as is suggested in the second paragraph.
Kitsap is a PDL team, essentially Division 4 in the US and plays mainly against U23 teams. As such, their roster changes yearly so defending champion means little, though unlike most of their competition they do keep a few players year to year (7 players this season return from last). They got thumped this week by the Timbers U23 team 4-0. Likewise PSA elite (another US ASA club with several former professionals who does not limit themselves to 22 year olds and younger, and mostly college players on summer break for that matter) beat the Timbers U23 team in this tourney.
Wilmington is a division 3 team. Currently in the bottom half of their USL-PRO table in a league that looks like it has only 2 or 3 decent teams (Orlando, Richmond, maybe Charleston). I have no idea whether they played their usual starters or not. It sounds like they got thumped however.
Listen, not trying to disparage CalFC here, but there is a leap between average Division 3 and PDL teams and MLS first teams. Whether Portland plays their first team or not remains to be seen (presumably they will put a mostly first team out there with Danso, Wallace and Palmer the only probable/possible starters gone for national team duty, but Gleason and Purdy also gone) but that will leave them with some inexperience in the back line. As Portland’s next possible game is 6 days later (should they win), I expect to see essentially the same team that started against Vancouver 2 days ago except for Brunner who apparently had a concussion (probably Jean-Baptiste or Horst in his place) as Paulson really does not want to lose this game.
So, unless they push Portland to the limit, does losing to a MLS team really prove anything for Wynalda? No, it proves US ASA clubs can beat Div 3 and 4 teams … something that has been known for years.
Which is sort of the point that Eric is trying to make but on a bigger stage.
Again, if Portland (currently on 13 points after 12 MLS matches, tied for 7th of 9 teams in the west and if was single table would be in a 3 way tie for 13/14/15th place of 19 teams) handles CalFC rather handily, what then is Wynalda’s point?
We all know that there is overlap between leagues and quality. Anyone who has watched American soccer long enough knows this. We all know that US ASA and PDL teams have beaten USL-PRO and NASL teams in this competition in the past. But if Wynalda’s team is easily overcome by a below average MLS team missing 5 guys for National Team duty, what then is his point? If the point is that his team can beat a PDL and USL-Pro team … well that point has been made dozens of times before.
If he wins or comes close against Portland’s first team, I’ll be impressed.
Here to take lumps.
Congrats CalFC.
How Portland didn’t stomp you (watched the game, you guys were not the better team but it isn’t the first time a team has mustered 3 shots on goal, two of which were not threats to score and still won a game against a team that ran them up and down the field almost at will). Portland has no killer instinct. Fully expect Seattle to roll you badly (if only to rub it in for Portland).
The point that Eric Wynalda is trying to make is that “Soccer Elitism” in America must be destroyed. There are players at the grassroots, but somehow they never make it through the pipeline. (NOTE: I am passionate about grassroots soccer).
The U.S. Open is America’s F.A. Cup and this is the perfect place to make the point!!! The U.S. Soccer Pyramid must be turned upside down.
I have argued to others that NCAA Division 1, 2 and 3 format MAKES NO SENSE, because it is in the cookie-cutter mold of NCAA Basketball and Football. Soccer is different – and you can even have special talents at the NCAA Division 3 level, but because of the NCAA categorization you would never see these players. NCAA 1, 2 and 3 It would make sense if there was relegation and promotion – which would reward SOCCER DEVELOPMENT of the players (their improvement over 4 years of college) … this is another debate for another day.
The US Open and the USL Leagues gives AMATEUR players of all stripes to prove their point … 8 MLS teams were taken down by the end of the day, and I think Jürgen Klinsmann should take notice. The true test will be:
1) How many of these USL/PDL players will be invited to the MLS combine.
2) How many may get considerations when the MLS transfer window opens.
I wish these teams the best!
Please tell your friends to watch the next Cal FC game on TV, because the folks at Fox Soccer Channel have just decided to Televise this 4th Round game!
——-
Great read.
I like it when the North American soccer establishment gets their cage rattled
Fantastic article. Wynalda might be the ONLY interesting character in American soccer, and he’s hardly “in” American soccer as it stands.
As of this commenting, 6 MLS teams have already bombed out of the USOC and 2 more are against the ropes. I’d say Cal FC have more than a sporting chance going into their match against the Timbers.
He’s “in” American soccer, he’s one of the premier analysts having worked at ESPN and FSC. I personally love him in the studio. However, what makes him great in the studio – his opinionated commentary – is what scares owners away from hiring him as a coach. I’m not saying Olsen or Heaps or Frasier deserved their positions when they received them but its hard to argue that Wynalda deserves and MLS position either.
If you owned an MLS team would you hire him? I would not. However, I’d love him to be on my broadcast team.
One of the other interesting things about this match is that Wynalda’s opposite number, John Spencer, is becoming something of topic of conversation around here himself. So I’d say that another one of the other storylines here is the clash between the “iconoclast” with his team of also-rans, has-beens and never-weres, and the “insider”, the guy who’s played the MLS game in the approved MLS-way but is mired in a difficult second season with questions already flying about regarding his managing tactics and player selection.
So if Waldo’s club comes into Portland and beats the Timbers, or, even worse, makes Spencer’s outfit look genuinely outplayed and outmanaged even during a Timbers win – then I think he goes a long way towards making his point.
Should be a good match!
I don’t agree with the style or substance of much of what Wynalda says. But the Heaps slam is hilarious.
The elephant in the room for Portland is Hollywood United FC… Another USASA team that beat them back in 2008 in this same tournament, when the Timbers were still USL. Still ranks as one of the bigger upsets in tournament history, and will be the gnawing fear in the back of the mind of every member of the Timbers Army up until FT.
I think we need a Part 2 to this article as soon as possible.
I really, really think we need a Part 2 to this article as soon as possible.
Really interested to see how the Sounders handle this Idea. I think they will put a good line up out there and beat them soundly.
The level of quality and depth between the sounders and the timbers is huge. Sounders should clean up.
I have a bone to pick wit Cal now, as I already was planing a trip to Portland… Grrr
Wynalda should be given a job as a Coach. I think he is also tied to another team in San Diego as an Owner. An MLS franchise in San Diego would be good for the league and they can make Wynalda the Coach. MLS should be in the 28-32 team range same as other pro sports leagues in the US. Sounders 10 – 0 over Cal FC. It is the end of the line for this golden run.