AFC MOBILE
Home Venue: Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium
2018 Season: 4th in east division; 4-6-0; 12 pts
Player to watch: Tilman Schober (Forward/Winger) – Schober’s attacking prowess for Spring Hill was vital to leading the Badgers to a Gulf South Conference regular season and tournament championship last season. Schober finished tied for the third most assists in Division II last season. He will be looking to maintain the strong partnership that he formed with Iba Ndaw at Spring Hill for the Azaleas this summer.
Coach’s Corner: Steve Wieczorek – “I’m very excited about this upcoming season. I have a great group of guys who are hungry and eager to impress in front of the best fans in the GCPL. I expect nothing less than their best effort and dedication and commitment to their club in each and every performance.”
Writer’s predictions: This will be AFC Mobile’s third season in the GCPL, and much like their first year, they stole the show off the field continuing to raise the bar for game day experience. While their overall play on the field had improved the Azaleas still struggled to find their way into the playoffs for the second straight year. The offseason has proved that this has become their primary focus for the 2019 season as they revamped their coaching staff and have included a hand full of new players with some impressive resumes. It is still to be seen if it is enough to compete in a stacked Eastern Conference.
HATTIESBURG FC
Home Venue: William Carey Crusader Field
2018 Season: NA; inaugural season
Player to watch: Matias Pazos (Midfielder) – The versatile midfielder will look to be the engine for the central Mississippi club. The Spaniard finished his Senior season with William Carey, helping lead the Crusaders to a semifinal appearance.
Coach’s Corner: Barry Farrell – “We are really looking forward to the season ahead. I feel the league has jumped up a level since last year with some of the players playing this upcoming season in the GCPL. I feel Hattiesburg F.C will be able to compete at this level in our first year in the league.”
Writer’s predictions: Hattiesburg FC have shown confidence in their approach to preparing for their inaugural season in the GCPL. With a heavy connection to William Carey, who have been one of the nation’s top NAIA programs for the past few years, it’s safe to presume their confidence is warranted. The club will look to incorporate a good mix of their younger players, but will rely on their experienced college players to put on a strong campaign for 2019.
Gulf Coast Rangers
Home Venue: Fairhope Municipal Stadium
2018 Season: 2nd in east division; 5-2-3; 18 pts
Player to watch: Yan Linevu (Forward) – The Republic of Congo native finished the 2018 season in the GCPL tallying 12 goals and leading the Rangers to the playoffs in their first season in the league. Very dangerous around the goal, Linevu will more than likely be in the running for the top scorer in the league.
Coach’s Corner: Daniel Whelan – “Can’t wait to get going and test ourselves against some quality opponents. I have no doubt that every team we face will be better than last season, and the additions of Tallahassee and Hattiesburg FC will only make the league stronger. This conference is as tough as it gets and every game will be a test.”
Writer’s predictions: 2018 proved to be a successful start for the East Bay club’s ambitions to bring a top level program to their academy system. After some minor adjustments to their coaching staff and improving their roster, we can expect to see the Rangers back in the playoff mix come July.
PENSACOLA FC
Home Venue: Ashton Brosnaham Stadium
2018 Season: 3rd in east division; 4-3-3; 15 pts
Player to watch: Sean Hoffstater (Forward) – The Fort Walton product finished his Junior season at University of West Florida with multiple accolades. Most impressively, being named to the NCAA Division II All-American team. The big framed attacker has a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net.
Coach’s Corner: Nolan Intermoia – “We’re excited to have a completely different look to the team. With a few returning players, we’ve added 13 newcomers to the squad to keep competition high amongst the team. We look to have a more uniform sense of identity of how we play.”
Writer’s predictions: The beach boys failed to reach the playoffs for the second season in a row. While the roster consisted of a good mix of seasoned veterans, Pensacola failed to put games away they were favored to win. A new approach for the western Florida club has revamped their coaching staff and focus on development. With the squad having a mix of veteran leadership and youth, the prediction for this group is a tough one to gauge. We should expect them to be in the mix, but will they have enough to make a strong push?
PORT CITY FC
Home Venue: Herbert Wilson Stadium
2018 Season: 1st in east division; 8-1-1; 25 pts; Champions
Player to watch: Jordan Hall (Forward) — The UConn bound forward took the GCPL by storm last season, notching 9 goals helping lead the Sounders to their first GCPL championship. The Englishman kept his goal scoring prowess on a roll as he led the Big Ten in goals featuring for Rutgers in 2018. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this young prospect in the pro ranks sooner than later.
Coach’s Corner: Henrik Madsen – “Looking forward to a very exciting season. With the addition of more teams, the league is bound to be very challenging. We are returning some quality players, and hope we can continue to entertain our fans. Look forward to the continued support of our community!”
Writer’s predictions: Just as predicted in our 2018 season preview, Port City were on the right path to lifting the trophy. With majority of the players who helped the Gulfport club reach that goal, we should expect more of the same. The return of 2018 league MVP, Patrick Harrison, and scoring threat, Jordan Hall, it wouldn’t be too far fetched to say Port City FC are the favorites to do it all again.
TALLAHASSEE SC
Home Venue: FSU Main Campus Fields
2018 Season: inaugural season
Player to watch: Hugo “Peruzzi” Rodrigues (Keeper) – The veteran keeper brings a lot of experience having floated around the lower pro ranks in Portugal before joining Tallahassee. A very vocal presence on the field, Rodrigues looks to offer leadership as the new boys prepare for a tough Eastern Conference.
Coach’s Corner: Josh Bruno – “This is our first season in the league and we understand the high level of competition. We have been working since November to put together a group of athletes to represent our community and compete. We look forward to upholding high standards of all the clubs involved.”
Writer’s predictions: Tallahassee joins the GCPL with a ton of buzz generating around their community. After an impressive amount of support for their first home preseason game, the capital city outfit will have the pressure on them to perform. Their roster has a good mix of experienced players along with some local standouts. Can the new club find their rhythm early to get some results?
