Time for getting another odd Man Rusher in the SDH network and we get to find out what it's like to be another first year franchise at PSL. We got to FC Florida catch up with academy director Cam Amsburg head coach Victor Sanchez Jenen. Thanks for dropping by for a two V one Let's see what happens in an odd man rush.
Thanks for having us John.
All right, so, Cam, let me ask you from the absolute beginnings, why the NPSL. Why did f C Florida wanted to take this jump and go into the NPSL.
Sure, we were really excited to join the league. We felt like it gave our alumni who are in college or just out of college, a place to play at home and continue to represent FC Florida. And at the same time, it allows the top players in our youth academy, the older players, the opportunity to train with, play with, and play against older players and really high level, experienced players, and that's been so beneficial for their development.
So, Victor, what has it been like for you to assemble this thing from scratch? Basically, team comes online. The announcement happens in late March, and here we are in late May and you're already off and running. What was it like to assemble this thing from scratch on the hop?
Yeah, it's been a great experience. So I came in fairly late while Cam and FC four staff were had already been working on everything, and they've done an amazing job at at assembling a really strong group of players and and then I've been fortunate just to be able to work with them in a short period of time. And obviously we've already completed three league games and uh, but but it's been great. The experience has been great, and the young man I've been uh, have been solid.
So Cam, I know that you have a history up in what some of us in a certain age group would sit there and say, the old Big East when it comes to to Yukon. Uh, what has it been like for you to try and see this? Obviously there are folks that may know who has ties to this program because of his interaction with places like Crystal Palace and both the Fogo and Engle football holdings and all that. But what's it been like for you to assemble all of this from the off the field perspective?
For sure, it's been really interesting. We were excited to join the LEA League, and like you mentioned to Victor, was so late when we joined, and we were just trying to scramble and put together as good a group as we could and as many players as we could. We're fortunate to be in an area where there's a lot of talent here and Epsey Florida has been established since two thousand and eight, had some great teams and developed some great players, and a lot of those players
were excited to come back and play with us. So that made establishing the team much easier when you have a core group already that's bought in and wanting to come represent FC Florida again and excited about it. So we ended up probably with more quality players than we thought or could have hoped for.
So Victor, you know, I know. Then I'll ask Cam this question second, so he can't. He can listen to your answer, but he can't steal your answer. There's okay, there's always that to do list, and I know that it's somewhere. It could be on a Google doc, it could be in a text chain, it could be you know, in a WhatsApp group, it could be on one of those Big six foot by eight foot whiteboards. It's got a bunch of lines and squiggles and goes from place to place to place. Where is your on the field
assembly to do list? And are you still crossing things off of it even as you are now here in the season underway?
Definitely. We we've had to move very quickly with our with our sessions, our tactics, assessing our player pool, and that's still a process regardless. Again, we're only a month in, so it's still a process. And but we have moved along fairly quickly and we've done from my perspective of a good job with that. Nonetheless, again, as I mentioned,
we're still assessing players. We're still uh going through our our our tactics, our schemes so that we can uh be playing our best soccer in the second half of the season or obviously as soon as possible, But it'll take some time and uh and and we're just fortunate to have players that are bought in, players that are eager and hungry to play and uh and so the sessions and and the season thus far has been a
positive one. Along with the support from Cam and the rest of the staff, it's been it's been a good experience. And and and again, like like you said, we're we we have all those conversations uh in the meeting room, uh through text messages on the field, and that's an ongoing process.
And so all right, Cam were listening to Victors and and applying it to the off the field assembly of everything, because I know a lot of folks may sit there and they may go to the Pine School and watch home matches, or they may see you on the road and they'll sit there and go, okay, So there's a team, they're out there, they're playing. Everything's fine, i FC Florida. Everything's cool and good. And you're like, yeah, you might be seeing what's above the water line, but below the
water line, there's a lot of stuff going on. Where is everything in the day to day assembly and the integration and making sure that everything looks good above the water line even as you're dancing as fast as you can below the water line.
Yeah, that's a great question. I think firstly, we were really fortunate to bring in Victor on such late notice, and he's done a great job with everything on the field, organizing the team. I feel like the team's getting stronger each week. We're getting more players cleared. We're I think our performances have shown that, so we feel like moving into the second half of the season and hopefully making a push for playoffs. We're in a good position off
the field. I think we were fortunate as well to have a place like Pine that was willing to support us with this NPSL project. So you know, the field is there, all the other requirements for the league were there, and Pine was willing to support us. But yeah, the first few weeks were a little bit hectic, just thinking, okay, we just joined the league. Now we have basically a
month before we start competing. We need to get jerseys, we need to line up you know, facilities, trainers, everything else. So it's really been a fun process and it's definitely enjoyable to see the players on the field and at training and see that you know, everything Victor and his staff are putting into this team is paying off.
Victor, how would you describe how competitive the Sunshine is Considering it's Jackson, del Armont and Naples, New Orleans jesters, you guys, Miami much club dealing on global soccer pathways in psc how how competitive is the Sunshine for someone who hadn't have the chance to see it.
Yeah, no, it's definitely competitive. We haven't had the opportunity to face off with Jacksonville or Naples, which we will shortly, but but it has been competitive, and it's been a great experience for UH, an exposure for for players. And I'm I'm looking forward to, you know, to what's to come.
All right, So, when folks walk in the door Victor for the first time and they see what's going on with your roster, who are some of the folks that, UH, your the fans and the casual observers will go in and naturally gravitate toward brag on your team a little bit. So far here in the first three matches, UH, as you've gotten the the win, the loss, and the draw. Who are some of the folks that everybody can gravitate toward.
H great question. It's it's hard to to highlight just a couple of players, but for the purpose of you see question, I will go ahead and do so. You've got a center backed by the name of Jake out of uh out of p B, a very intelligent, strong central defender and UH and he's been really our anchor, UH and in our back line, and then through the middle, there's a couple of names, a couple that that we're
still waiting on to get cleared as well. But but as far as uh Cinema fields have been playing so far, it would be like an ian uh kareem uh part of me that I can't remember all these guys last names. But but those two amongst others, a couple that we still need to get cleared. But those guys through the middle of the field have been solid for us. And then up top we've got a handful of forwards and
attacking players. Again, really hard to highlight any any one of them, but I'd go ahead and highlight Lucas and and Nate. Those guys have been quickly adapting to our system and h and executing with consistency.
So cam, when folks walk in, how would you describe the style of play that you want to have FC Florida represent and what kind of player do you want representing FC Florida. I guess that's an on the field question and an off the field question the franchise when it comes to on the field look and off the field representation.
For sure, it's a great question. Every team at FC Florida essentially plays the same or a very similar style for three to three possession based system. We're a high pressing group. So throughout the academy all the way up to NPSL, like to dominate possession, like to dominate the game without the ball by putting teams under pressure and and dictating the pace of the game. And I think just composer and playing out of tight space's combination play.
Those are things we see through the academy and with NPSL also, and Victor had coached f C Florida for years and coached some of the most successful teams in FC Florida history, State Cup champions, national champions, so you know, he was really a part of building that style of play at FC Florida. And it's it seems like it's been a pretty seamless transition with him now taking over the NPSL and not really having to change from that system.
Victor, what are the expectations? You know what we always talk about, we're hitting the ground running here. It's a full sprint. The Bell curve is basically like that that forty five degree angle where you're you're climbing the hill and you're hoping that you're in third gear and everything
works in the car. What are the expectations in a very very tough conference in the sunshine here for year one, knowing that you're still trying to orient things and be ready for the second half of the season.
I do, I do expect us to have a successful season and and making a very strong push for the playoffs. Ultimately, it's just a matter of these these young men being students of the game, giving you know, one hundred and twenty percent effort and and everything will really kind of come together. Granted, everyone's coming from different programs, different systems, different styles and and uh and coaches, but ultimately we all speak one language, and that's the language of football.
So it's been a great experience, and the expectations are high.
And when you when you have these very very high expectations, cam I know that literally you start the season and then you blink and you sit there and you go, well, where did the season go? What have you learned about yourselves as an organization? Piecing this together as quickly as you have to get the results that you're getting so far, and knowing the results that you want toward the end of the regular season for sure.
It's a very compact season. It's the regular seasons a little under two months. So yeah, we're only three games in, but a month from now, the regular season's wrapped up and hopefully we're moving on to playoffs. I think to get there, we need to get a few more players. Clear, Like Victor ed mentioned and I mentioned earlier, I think that probably did hurt us in some of the early games, not having a full group, and now that we're getting very close to the full group, excited to see what
you know, coach, and what the team can do. But I think I think we're in a really good position, and the next few games we know will will be a good test to show us exactly where we stand. When you play teams like Naples and Jacksonville, that's probably two of the top teams in our conference. So if we want to make a run in the playoffs, like we feel we have the ability to do, we we really need to prove it in those games.
So Cam has stolen my notes and asking the next question, Victor, what has study hall been been like getting ready for this matchup with Naples, which is set for seven o'clock on Saturday night. What have you what have you studied? What do you know?
I'd be honest, I don't know too much. But I have been involved with PSL and previously PDO, which is now USL two and and I and I am aware of how strong Jacksonville Armada are and Naples United. We've I've played against those programs previously. So even though to this day and for this season, I don't know too much. I know that they're very organized, well coached. They bring in very strong players, uh, from back to front, and
and so those will be very competitive games. And like like Cam mentioned, you know, those will those will be uh a good opportunity for us to showcase and also see where we stand with with the rest of the group.
So then, because the season is a sprint, coach, do you focus more on yourself with all of the players coming in trying to get everybody on the same page? Do you focus more on yourself and just kind of let the other team do their thing? Is that how you approach something like this.
Uh, that's a good question. Definitely, the focus will will always be on on our team and playing effective soccer on both sides of the ball. But but we'll always we're always looking at making game adjustments. Uh, and we'll do that in every game. So yes, we focus on ourselves, but we also look to read and pick out our opponent's weaknesses and strengths and and see where we can gain the best opportunity.
And I know, Cam, I've probably kind of buried the lead here a little bit. You know, I did mention you know, the founder and the owner, the guy by the name of John Texter. What's it like having him as a part of this process. Knowing all of the different footprints that he has in the game and all the different places that you can use as a resource. What's it like having him as a as a part of this pyramid that is a big learning process and launching something like this.
That's been incredible, definitely, and we were really happy to have John support with building this NPSL team and entering the league. We've had coaches from Moll and Beek already
come and work with our group. I think in the future, once you know, we're more integrated into the league and more established, and to be honest, we have more notice because we joined so late, I think we'll have a lot of opportunities to bring coaches and hopefully at some point bring players as well to be part of our group, and that I think is something we're really looking forward to.
FC Florida dot com and on the social media's it is at Florida Prep. On the Facebook, it is on the IG, the Grammar, the insta, as the kids say these days, I don't know which one it is, it's FC Florida Prep. And then on the two hundred and eighty character app on Exit is FC Florida Prep. Cam Amsburg and Victor Sanchez, two of the brain trust making sure that things go off as swimmingly as possible when it comes to f C Florida and the Sunshine Conference
in the NPSL. Gentlemen, thanks for an odd man rush here on at the SDH network. Good luck. We'll be keeping an eye on you the rest of the season and go get them this weekend against Naples.
Thanks so much, John, Thank you so much,