Queensboro FC won’t start competing in the USL Championship until 2022, but it will still have a presence at another level in the league
The United Soccer League Tuesday announced the formation of the USL Academy League, providing United Soccer League clubs with a model to develop local players for their senior team. The inaugural season will kick off next spring, with clubs divided into seven regional divisions: Northeast, Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, East Central, South Central and Southwest.
Queensboro FC is a founding member of the USL Academy League as the QBFC Academy will play in the Northeast Division alongside 12 other teams.
The QBFC Academy will be fully funded for all of its members. The Academy will be coached by the senior team head coach/sporting director Josep Gombau and technical director Luis Gutierrez.
The Academy’s first tryouts will be held Nov. 4-5 at the Sports Underdome in Mount Vernon, N.Y. Tryouts are open for boys ages 15-18 (born 2002-2005), with a registration fee of $100 each. Registration will be free for residents of Queens, N.Y. (with the exception of a $10 processing fee).
“QBFC Academy is a vital part of the success of our club,” Queensboro FC co-founder David Villa said in a statement. “I have always been extremely passionate about giving undiscovered players an opportunity to be seen for their soccer talent, and I believe our organization will do a world-class job of finding, coaching and elevating an incredible new generation of players for Queens, the United States, and beyond.”
Added Gombau in another statement: “It’s a very exciting time right now for Queensboro FC, as the QBFC Academy represents the very first stages of building the future of our club through the recruitment and development of young, quality players. Our ethos has always been to create a strong connection with local and global soccer communities, and provide players with a credible pathway to go from amateur to pro.”
Gutierrez will be looking to the future as well.
“Having QBFC Academy participate in the inaugural season of the USL Academy League is a critical step for us, in order to start playing competitively right away while building the foundation of our club’s senior team for 2022,” he said in a statement. “I am looking forward to hosting our very first tryouts next month, as it represents another milestone for the club. We are expecting a tremendous turnout, with about 80% of registrations so far representing Queens.”
