A Beautiful Dream: Viejos Son Los Trapos FC's Plans to Unite the Soccer Community

This article can be found in Spanish at: https://www.epluribusloonum.com/2017/1/22/14348462/vsltfc-espera-que-unirse-comunidad-de-futbol

“This is a club now.”

Juan Fiz, the president of Viejos Son Los Trapos FC, addresses a group of players hoping to be a part of the new club. The players wait anxiously for tryouts to begin, hoping to earn one of the 70 spots with VSLTFC’s three teams. The club has risen from local Latin leagues through the ranks of the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League (MASL). It is now expanding with the addition of a National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side. VSLTFC has had its share of victories over the past four years, but the club is now looking beyond the pitch for a new form of success.

Viejos Son Los Trapos FC is generally known as the “Latino team” of the Twin Cities. The club heavily draws players and fans from the Latin leagues and has certainly embraced that role, but the club’s executives hope to expand the team’s horizons.

Soccer is a global sport, followed avidly on nearly every continent by a diverse fan base. VSLTFC hopes to mirror that fan base and integrate all parts of the Twin Cities community. Outreach director Fabian Omana hopes that Viejos Son Los Trapos FC can become “everyone’s team.” Fiz adds that they are “a club for everyone...not just a club for Latinos.” The club views success as more than just winning matches--they see it as uniting the soccer community.

Prospective players seem to share the sentiment of the club officials. At tryouts this week, one hopeful player emphasized that he wants “to be part of a club” above anything else. Another player longs for the chance to be part of “a team that gives you an opportunity to play at a higher level.” Though both players view Viejos Son Los Trapos FC as “the Latin team” they hope that players from other backgrounds will join them.

Nick McGinley

As Fiz addressed the prospective players before their tryout, he stressed that “we are all partners.” This message of unity extended to the scrimmage played at the tryout. The players looked to pass first and any tackles seemed more accidental than tactical.

Nick McGinley

The heart of Viejos Son Los Trapos FC lies not in their glamorous results on the field (and they do get them) but in their dedication to a dream. The club executives are not compensated by the organization, despite the heavy amount of hours they invest each week. In a time when sports have become increasingly more about money and less about the games themselves, VSLTFC provides a welcome breath of fresh air. Its goal of uniting the Twin Cities community embodies the good that can come out of the beautiful game we call soccer.