The San Francisco Deltas officially are no more.

Deltas CEO Brian Andres Helmick Friday announced in a blog that the North American Soccer League champions are closing up shop for good.

Before and after San Francisco captured the crown Nov. 12, there were many rumors and reports about the team’s impending demise. Helmick addressed the issue on Medium. com. The team reportedly lost several million dollars.

“We are closing down the San Francisco Deltas,” Helmick wrote.

“As many of you have said, this journey that started in 2015 has the makings of a movie with character-defining struggles, heroic moments, painful defeats, and overcoming seemingly impossible hurdles all culminating in a dream come true on Sunday, Nov. 12 when the SF Deltas were crowned the national champions after defeating the New York Cosmos – arguably the most storied brand in U.S. Soccer history,” Helmick added. “I’ll never forget the scene of thousands of fans storming the field. Now that the celebration has come to an end, players and coaches have been released from their contracts.”

The Deltas defeated the Cosmos, 2-0, in the final.

Despite its ongoing financial difficulties San Francisco finished the regular season in second place in the overall standings with a 14-6-12 record and 54 points.

The NASL already had taken the Deltas’ logo and information off its website.

“This is a very sad moment because it’s definitely not the desired outcome,” Helmick said. “However, there’s a lot to be proud of and I hope it will leave a lasting effect on all of you. Not just as the startup soccer team that went on to win a championship on the field, but as the team who did all they could to benefit the community off the field. I’m eternally grateful to all the people who I’ve met and who made this journey possible. Thank you.

For the rest of the post, visit:

https://medium.com/@bhelmick/the-dream-ending-the-san-francisco-deltas-finish-as-champions-b6ff44dc9fd

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.