LAFC Chelsea BU15 Win Silver Elite North!

Front Row: Nicky Fraher, Ever de la Torre, Elijah Lichtenberg, Kevin Cervantez, Cesar Arceo
Middle Row: Chris Trejo, Romey Lomeli, Brian Paredes, Nathan Castillo, Jonathan Rose
Back Row: Brian Fraher (TA), Kevin Geddes, Matthew Laterza, Martin Arrieta, Anthony Rodriguez, Coach Josh Henderson

Newly Added GU12 Finalists of Silver State Invitational

LAFC Chelsea GU13 Black Wins
Copa Real Nike Invitational!

Two Youth Soccer Clubs Join Forces with Merger of Legends FC Boys Teams into LAFC Chelsea

Pasadena, CA (January 20, 2010) — Bolstering its boys younger age groups as well as its coaching staff, the LAFC Chelsea soccer club announced today that local Legends FC boys teams has merged into LAFC Chelsea, effective February 1, the beginning of the new season. The Legends Boys program, which spans the communities of Chino Hills and Pomona, brings 20 teams and 350 players, U9 through U17, into LAFC. Legends FC will remain an all girls club and continue a great relationship with LAFC.

“Legends boys teams joining LAFC makes us bigger and stronger — it fills out our younger groups and strengthens the ranks of our experienced, licensed coaching staff, letting us give talented players more attention to help get them to the next level,” stated LAFC Chelsea vice president of soccer operations Teddy Chronopoulos.

“This is a great opportunity for the Legends FC Boys Program, both for the players and staff,” said Legends Boys director of coaching Billy Bizzaro who, for nearly a decade, was instrumental in shepherding the growth of the club from two teams to 30 teams. Legends FC was formed two years ago from the merger of Stampede and Glendora FC. Bizzaro is looking forward to working with the LAFC director staff and will be assisting in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, an elite national league and training program of which LAFC Chelsea is a member. Bizzaro adds, “I’d like to personally thank Josh Hodges, Angela Wright and everyone involved with Legends FC — it’s been a great experience!”

LAFC Chelsea, a subsidiary of the nonprofit LAFC Foundation, has become one of America’s largest and most prominent club soccer organizations. For more information, please visit www.lafcsoccer.com.

Four U18’s Make Commitments to Top Schools

LAFC Chelsea’s reputation as a stepping-stone to top college programs continues to grow. Four players from the boys program have committed to play for Division I schools that traditionally rank among the best in college soccer. Two of the players, Bryce Gumpel and Brady Valashinas will attend highly selective Ivy League universities. Gumpel committed to Brown and Valashinas will play for Princeton. Brown and Princeton both qualified for the NCAA Championships with Brown winning a game before bowing out to eventual semifinalist North Carolina. Although Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they are known for their soccer prowess; this year, four Ivy League teams competed in the NCAA Championships.

Gumpel and Valashinas are strong, savvy central defenders who play for one of two LAFC teams in the Coast Soccer’s U-19 Premier League, arguably the country’s most challenging youth soccer league. They have both spent years with LAFC. Valashinas made the lengthy commute from Manhattan Beach for practices in the Pasadena/La Canada area.

Two highly recruited midfielders from the same team, Michael Gates and Giovanni Rollie, also selected their colleges. Gates, a high-energy central midfielder, will attend Santa Clara University, while Rollie, who plays on the outside, chose the University of New Mexico. “Michael is a very hard worker and blossomed on and off the field this year,” said Ted Chronopoulos, LAFC’s vice president of soccer operations. “Giovanni is a very dynamic, creative player who can change a game quickly.” Chronopoulos says that the latest commitments affirm LAFC’s approach to junior development. “When colleges and national teams want our players, it shows that we are about development,” Chronopoulos says. “We teach them fundamentals, we teach them how important it is to train at a high intensity and how to act on and off the field. College coaches have confidence that when they sign an LAFC player, that player will thrive with them and reflect well on their program.”