ORLANDO — Lansdowne Bhoys head coach Austin Friel was named coach of the year by Region I of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association Friday.
Friel guided the Cosmopolitan Soccer League power to a pair of national titles in 2017.
On Aug. 5, the Yonkers, N.Y.-based side overcame six-time national champions Bavaria SC 9-8 on penalties in Milwaukee, Wis., to become the first Irish club to be crowned the Fritz Marth U.S. Amateur Cup champions.
The teams played to a 2-2 draw in regulation and then went through 30 scoreless minutes of extratime. Momodou Sawaneh converted the winning penalty kick in the shootout.
It was fitting Lansdowne captured the Fritz Marth Cup because Marth was an important official with the Cosmopolitan Soccer League for many years. Lansdowne is one of the leading CSL First Division sides.
On Aug. 19, Lansdowne rolled to a 5-0 victory over Louisiana’s State CD Montague, 5-0, to take home the Fricker Cup.
The team also won the Dr. Manning Cup as Eastern New York State Soccer Association champions, giving Lansdowne a treble.
“Only two other teams have ever won the national amateur, national open and their state cup in the same year,” Bhoys president William McGrory said at the time. “Now there’s three as Lansdowne join the elite group. [The] Bhoys are now the undisputed best amateur soccer team in the USA. This is a marvelous achievement for the team and took an enormous amount of work on and off the field. Thanks to the board, players and coach Austin Friel.”
Lansdowne will have another challenge in 2018 as the team will participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
