New Jersey Copa FC vs Hudson Valley Hammers
Competition: USL League Two
Kickoff Date/Time: Saturday, May 21, 2022 - 7:30pm
Venue: Mount St. Mary’s College, Newburgh, NY
New Jersey Copa FC takes the road for their season opener against the Hudson Valley Hammers this Saturday night.
The match will begin the season for both teams as they are looking to start strong. This is the first time New Jersey Copa FC takes on the Hudson Valley Hammers this season before hosting them on June 29, 2022.
New Jersey Copa FC looks to build upon last year after opening the 2021 season against the Long Island Rough Riders. The team is confidently anticipating to start the 2022 season with a win. When asked how this year will look, head coach Fernando Barboto said, “The team will be very competitive in our second year. We are content for a playoff spot as long as we work hard, stay determined, healthy, and focused.”
The USL2 team will look to improve on their previous season after finishing 6th in the regular season of the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division. New Jersey Copa FC completed their first year with a 5 - 6 - 3 record. An impressive start for a team’s first year, but they will come out even more competitive in their second season. Sporting Director Robert Aguas stated, “Our focus going forward in our second year of competition is the development and progression of the program. We have some familiar faces returning, along with new ones, that give us a stride in the right direction. The men of this year’s team will be highly competitive, making this season a memorable one.”
New Jersey Copa FC has an incredible amount of talent joining the team this season. Carlos and Albert Portas have traveled from Spain to join the Summer of Soccer. Albert Portas spent time at La Masia, Barcelona’s famed youth academy, before joining New Jersey Copa FC. Michael ‘Gio’ Gianino is a FC Copa Academy alumni, and spent the past year playing for CD Leganes and AD Villaviciosa de Odon in the Tercera Division of the Spanish football league. Pablo Kawecki trained at the Atletico Madrid Academy and was a member of the French Youth National team. Tapiwanashe Shumba joins the team this summer after playing with the New York Red Bulls in the USL Championship. The 2021 America East Striker of the Year, Regsan Watkins, joins Copa FC after tying for second in the NCAA (among active players) for career goals (40) and third in points (101). Karmel Segui comes to Copa FC from Patacona FC, a team in the top level of the Spanish football league for youth players. Jeremey Savaria spent time playing with SD Ejea, a team in the men’s second professional football division of the Spanish football league. Along with all of these top players, New Jersey Copa FC welcomes back Gabriel Addo (M, Rutgers University), Eric Dlabal (D, Fairleigh Dickinson University), Anthony Rovito (M, University of Pennsylvania), and Jonathan Yazo (M, Fairleigh Dickinson University) from the 2021 season team.
New Jersey Copa FC plays their next game against Cedar Stars Rush, who they went 0 - 1 - 1 against in the 2021 season. The match will be played on Wednesday May 25, 2022 at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Not able to make the game? Watch the live stream
All New Jersey Copa FC games can be found here Copa Live Streams
About FC Copa
FC Copa Academy is a professional soccer organization founded in 2004, which has appeared in 31 state, 23 regional and eight national finals & championships. FC Copa is a year-round soccer development program assisting players in reaching their greatest potential. With three locations; FC Copa Rutgers (Middlesex County, New Jersey), FC Copa Millstone (Monmouth County, New Jersey) and FC Copa Brooklyn (Aviator Sports in Brooklyn, New York), FC Copa focuses on educating the complete player with a knowledgeable and caring staff. FC Copa has one of the highest college placement rates in the country having placed over 365 students into over 188 collegiate programs. Over the course of 18 years, FC Copa has developed over 25 professional and national team players. FC Copa Academy fields both boys and girls teams in each age group from U7 through U19 competing in premier level leagues, tournaments, showcases, and competitions locally, regionally and nationally. FC Copa is a proud member of the USL Academy and the USYS National League Elite 64. FC Copa is a founding member of the USL Academy. In addition to the youth academy, FC Copa Academy provides a pathway into the college, semi-pro and professional levels via its New Jersey Copa FC teams competing in its collegiate programs (U20 and U23), USL League Two, New Jersey Copa FC Reserves, UWS and UWS2 teams.
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