Strikers FC: Toppling giants for decades
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Strikers FC, Irvine, California, is one of the pillars of club soccer in the United States. The club has a long list of alumni that includes current Men’s National Team player Matthew Hoppe and former players like Benny Feilhaber and…
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Continue ReadingStrikers FC, Irvine, California, is one of the pillars of club soccer in the United States. The club has a long list of alumni that includes current Men’s National Team player Matthew Hoppe and former players like Benny Feilhaber and Jonathan Bernstein.
The club’s success is in the present just as well as historic. The Strikers 2005, 2006, 2007 teams in MLS Next sit near the top of the table in their respective age groups in the Southwest Division standings. The club recently earned the opportunity to play against the U.S. U15 Boys National Team (2007s) during the national team camp in Chula Vista, California in February.
Strikers brought a combo 2006/2007 team to the game, and walked away victorious against the youth national team.
“Very honored and thankful for U.S. Soccer to think of us and consider us as a club for the opposition at a Youth National Team training camp,” Strikers MLS Next Director of Coaching Willie Diaz told PrepSoccer in a telephone interview last week. “For them to say, ‘I know a Strikers led team by Willie will give us a challenge and we can see and evaluate the type of player we have’ is an honor.”
While the invitation was thoughtful, the players might have felt a bit different about it. Strikers played with some hunger in the game and jumped out to a big advantage in the first half.
“Any kid that goes in there has a little chip on their shoulder,” Diaz said. “You didn’t pick me. Well, let me show you. This is what you missed out on.”
The U.S. Youth Team experienced the same defeat that many teams have felt at the hand of Strikers recently. The club rolled through the Boys ECNL last season, and then switched over to MLS Next for the 2021/2022 campaign.
Despite the new level, Strikers are still picking up win after win. The three teams that Diaz coaches (2005s, 2006s, and 2007s) are a combined 33-7-9 in arguably the most difficult division in the league.
The secret to Strikers success comes from the culture and environment that Don Ebert has developed at the club in Orange County since 1988. Ebert, a legend in the game, brought on Diaz in 2019 and the two have become partners in leading the new era for Strikers.
“We have a good training environment, a good culture that we’ve established,” Diaz said when asked the success of Strikers in MLS Next. “We’re consistent in how we train and the methods of training and the style of play. We’re very fortunate that we have the players buy-in, and the families buy-in into what we teach.”
Strikers play in the backyard of two MLS franchises, LA Galaxy and LAFC. While they are not on level footing with those MLS teams in terms of resources, they are providing players with a similar pathway now.
The youth club began a partnership with Cal United Strikers FC, a member of the National Independent Soccer Association, to create a pathway to the professional game for players.
“It’s fairly new still,” Diaz said. “We’re still in the early stages of seeing the full benefit of it. Last year, we had Shane Kaemerle, Brady Treinen Brady Treinen D CA , Ryan Valentine Ryan Valentine GK CA (who is right now on trial in Germany), Cameron Robie, Luke Cantafio Luke Cantafio D Tesla Academy (CA) | 2023 State #90 Nation CA (a 2005) and now the youngest one to come out is Marcus Lee Marcus Lee F State #28 Nation CA (a 2006), and goalkeeper Dylan Kaye Dylan Kaye GK State CA (another 2006) have been out to train with us. Kaemerle and Treinen are signed to professional contracts now.”
“We are trying to provide players the opportunity to train at a higher level with other professional players,” Diaz said. “Obviously, the level is higher compared to training with players at your age; to provide that to our players, has been massive advantage. It gives us a distinction from the rest. Obviously, we won’t be competing with LAFC or LA Galaxy because they are in MLS. We also are providing a pathway for these players if they want to play in Europe or professionally.”
The professional pathway is just one course for players at Strikers. There are plenty of college coaches interested in the players that are developed at the Orange County club. Isaac Nixon, a player on the 2005 squad, is an early commit to UC Irvine. Joe Moyer, another player on the 2005 squad, has a number of top programs asking about him early in the recruiting process.
“Strikers biggest strength is that we are a collection of talented players,” Diaz said. “Not ultra superstars or blue chip guys that you’re like can’t miss. It’s a collection of good players who have the right training mentality, guys who want to be the best versions of themselves. All our teams have that characteristic. That is one thing we try to create. We create that blue collar worker that has no quit in him. I think you mix in the right attitude with the right players and sprinkle in a couple of ultra talented players and you have a nice little team.”
It’s worked so far, but it’s mainly come from the groundwork that Ebert has put in place. Strikers identifies the type of players who fit into that system and will do well with that style of play.
“Don is the Technical Director of the whole organization. He is the leader of the program. He plays a big part instilling those profile to the player,” Diaz said. “Kids have to understand they play a sport that requires them to run. It is identifying that player who has an engine with no quit and for those that don’t, it is about how do we teach it, how do we encourage it.”
“Our training environment is a major part of it. It is the training sessions you come to that you leave exhausted. Obviously, Don [Ebert] is a big part of that. Don and I have become a great partnership. You can see it from top to bottom with all of our teams.”
It’s translated to success in results and player development. Strikers are helping push players onto the next level, whichever level that might fit the player with now a professional team under the umbrella.
The squads are preparing for the next steps in the season including a trip to Maryland in April for the MLS Next National Event and then eyes toward a playoff run in the summer.
Quick Club Profile: Strikers FC (Boys)
Location: Irvine California
League: MLS Next, Elite Academy
Players to Know
Joseph Moyer Joseph Moyer F State CA , Strikers FC MLS Next 05 – Moyer was part of the Servite squad that recently won the CIF-SS Division I Championship. The sophomore is a hard-working forward already has college coaches interested in him. At the club level, he is one of the standouts for the Strikers program.
Marcus Lee Marcus Lee F State #28 Nation CA , Strikers FC MLS Next 06 – Lee was one of the best players on the field in the recent win over the U.S. Youth National Team. The talented winger is a wizard on the ball and looks to have a bright future. His path to the next level might be joining the professional game, as European clubs are interested in the Strikers teenager.
Troy Perez, Strikers FC MLS Next 07 – Perez is a center back and one of the top players on the 2007 squad for Strikers. He is a smart player who understands the game and leads one of the best defensive units in MLS Next U15 age group.