Speaker 1: Time for getting another odd Man Rusher in the SDH
Speaker 1: network and we get to find out what it's like
Speaker 1: to be another first year franchise at PSL. We got
Speaker 1: to FC Florida catch up with academy director Cam Amsburg
Speaker 1: head coach Victor Sanchez Jenen. Thanks for dropping by for
Speaker 1: a two V one Let's see what happens in an
Speaker 1: odd man rush.
Speaker 2: Thanks for having us John.
Speaker 1: All right, so, Cam, let me ask you from the
Speaker 1: absolute beginnings, why the NPSL. Why did f C Florida
Speaker 1: wanted to take this jump and go into the NPSL.
Speaker 2: Sure, we were really excited to join the league. We
Speaker 2: felt like it gave our alumni who are in college
Speaker 2: or just out of college, a place to play at
Speaker 2: home and continue to represent FC Florida. And at the
Speaker 2: same time, it allows the top players in our youth academy,
Speaker 2: the older players, the opportunity to train with, play with,
Speaker 2: and play against older players and really high level, experienced players,
Speaker 2: and that's been so beneficial for their development.
Speaker 1: So, Victor, what has it been like for you to
Speaker 1: assemble this thing from scratch? Basically, team comes online. The
Speaker 1: announcement happens in late March, and here we are in
Speaker 1: late May and you're already off and running. What was
Speaker 1: it like to assemble this thing from scratch on the hop?
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been a great experience. So I came in
Speaker 3: fairly late while Cam and FC four staff were had
Speaker 3: already been working on everything, and they've done an amazing
Speaker 3: job at at assembling a really strong group of players
Speaker 3: and and then I've been fortunate just to be able
Speaker 3: to work with them in a short period of time.
Speaker 3: And obviously we've already completed three league games and uh,
Speaker 3: but but it's been great. The experience has been great,
Speaker 3: and the young man I've been uh, have been solid.
Speaker 1: So Cam, I know that you have a history up
Speaker 1: in what some of us in a certain age group
Speaker 1: would sit there and say, the old Big East when
Speaker 1: it comes to to Yukon. Uh, what has it been
Speaker 1: like for you to try and see this? Obviously there
Speaker 1: are folks that may know who has ties to this
Speaker 1: program because of his interaction with places like Crystal Palace
Speaker 1: and both the Fogo and Engle football holdings and all that.
Speaker 1: But what's it been like for you to assemble all
Speaker 1: of this from the off the field perspective?
Speaker 2: For sure, it's been really interesting. We were excited to
Speaker 2: join the LEA League, and like you mentioned to Victor,
Speaker 2: was so late when we joined, and we were just
Speaker 2: trying to scramble and put together as good a group
Speaker 2: as we could and as many players as we could.
Speaker 2: We're fortunate to be in an area where there's a
Speaker 2: lot of talent here and Epsey Florida has been established
Speaker 2: since two thousand and eight, had some great teams and
Speaker 2: developed some great players, and a lot of those players
Speaker 2: were excited to come back and play with us. So
Speaker 2: that made establishing the team much easier when you have
Speaker 2: a core group already that's bought in and wanting to
Speaker 2: come represent FC Florida again and excited about it. So
Speaker 2: we ended up probably with more quality players than we
Speaker 2: thought or could have hoped for.
Speaker 1: So Victor, you know, I know. Then I'll ask Cam
Speaker 1: this question second, so he can't. He can listen to
Speaker 1: your answer, but he can't steal your answer. There's okay,
Speaker 1: there's always that to do list, and I know that
Speaker 1: it's somewhere. It could be on a Google doc, it
Speaker 1: could be in a text chain, it could be you know,
Speaker 1: in a WhatsApp group, it could be on one of
Speaker 1: those Big six foot by eight foot whiteboards. It's got
Speaker 1: a bunch of lines and squiggles and goes from place
Speaker 1: to place to place. Where is your on the field
Speaker 1: assembly to do list? And are you still crossing things
Speaker 1: off of it even as you are now here in
Speaker 1: the season underway?
Speaker 3: Definitely. We we've had to move very quickly with our
Speaker 3: with our sessions, our tactics, assessing our player pool, and
Speaker 3: that's still a process regardless. Again, we're only a month in,
Speaker 3: so it's still a process. And but we have moved
Speaker 3: along fairly quickly and we've done from my perspective of
Speaker 3: a good job with that. Nonetheless, again, as I mentioned,
Speaker 3: we're still assessing players. We're still uh going through our
Speaker 3: our our tactics, our schemes so that we can uh
Speaker 3: be playing our best soccer in the second half of
Speaker 3: the season or obviously as soon as possible, But it'll
Speaker 3: take some time and uh and and we're just fortunate
Speaker 3: to have players that are bought in, players that are
Speaker 3: eager and hungry to play and uh and so the
Speaker 3: sessions and and the season thus far has been a
Speaker 3: positive one. Along with the support from Cam and the
Speaker 3: rest of the staff, it's been it's been a good experience.
Speaker 3: And and and again, like like you said, we're we
Speaker 3: we have all those conversations uh in the meeting room,
Speaker 3: uh through text messages on the field, and that's an
Speaker 3: ongoing process.
Speaker 1: And so all right, Cam were listening to Victors and
Speaker 1: and applying it to the off the field assembly of everything,
Speaker 1: because I know a lot of folks may sit there
Speaker 1: and they may go to the Pine School and watch
Speaker 1: home matches, or they may see you on the road
Speaker 1: and they'll sit there and go, okay, So there's a team,
Speaker 1: they're out there, they're playing. Everything's fine, i FC Florida.
Speaker 1: Everything's cool and good. And you're like, yeah, you might
Speaker 1: be seeing what's above the water line, but below the
Speaker 1: water line, there's a lot of stuff going on. Where
Speaker 1: is everything in the day to day assembly and the
Speaker 1: integration and making sure that everything looks good above the
Speaker 1: water line even as you're dancing as fast as you
Speaker 1: can below the water line.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great question. I think firstly, we were
Speaker 2: really fortunate to bring in Victor on such late notice,
Speaker 2: and he's done a great job with everything on the field,
Speaker 2: organizing the team. I feel like the team's getting stronger
Speaker 2: each week. We're getting more players cleared. We're I think
Speaker 2: our performances have shown that, so we feel like moving
Speaker 2: into the second half of the season and hopefully making
Speaker 2: a push for playoffs. We're in a good position off
Speaker 2: the field. I think we were fortunate as well to
Speaker 2: have a place like Pine that was willing to support
Speaker 2: us with this NPSL project. So you know, the field
Speaker 2: is there, all the other requirements for the league were there,
Speaker 2: and Pine was willing to support us. But yeah, the
Speaker 2: first few weeks were a little bit hectic, just thinking, okay,
Speaker 2: we just joined the league. Now we have basically a
Speaker 2: month before we start competing. We need to get jerseys,
Speaker 2: we need to line up you know, facilities, trainers, everything else.
Speaker 2: So it's really been a fun process and it's definitely
Speaker 2: enjoyable to see the players on the field and at
Speaker 2: training and see that you know, everything Victor and his
Speaker 2: staff are putting into this team is paying off.
Speaker 1: Victor, how would you describe how competitive the Sunshine is
Speaker 1: Considering it's Jackson, del Armont and Naples, New Orleans jesters,
Speaker 1: you guys, Miami much club dealing on global soccer pathways
Speaker 1: in psc how how competitive is the Sunshine for someone
Speaker 1: who hadn't have the chance to see it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, it's definitely competitive. We haven't had the opportunity
Speaker 3: to face off with Jacksonville or Naples, which we will shortly,
Speaker 3: but but it has been competitive, and it's been a
Speaker 3: great experience for UH, an exposure for for players. And
Speaker 3: I'm I'm looking forward to, you know, to what's to come.
Speaker 1: All right, So, when folks walk in the door Victor
Speaker 1: for the first time and they see what's going on
Speaker 1: with your roster, who are some of the folks that, UH,
Speaker 1: your the fans and the casual observers will go in
Speaker 1: and naturally gravitate toward brag on your team a little bit.
Speaker 1: So far here in the first three matches, UH, as
Speaker 1: you've gotten the the win, the loss, and the draw.
Speaker 1: Who are some of the folks that everybody can gravitate toward.
Speaker 3: H great question. It's it's hard to to highlight just
Speaker 3: a couple of players, but for the purpose of you
Speaker 3: see question, I will go ahead and do so. You've
Speaker 3: got a center backed by the name of Jake out
Speaker 3: of uh out of p B, a very intelligent, strong
Speaker 3: central defender and UH and he's been really our anchor,
Speaker 3: UH and in our back line, and then through the middle,
Speaker 3: there's a couple of names, a couple that that we're
Speaker 3: still waiting on to get cleared as well. But but
Speaker 3: as far as uh Cinema fields have been playing so far,
Speaker 3: it would be like an ian uh kareem uh part
Speaker 3: of me that I can't remember all these guys last names.
Speaker 3: But but those two amongst others, a couple that we
Speaker 3: still need to get cleared. But those guys through the
Speaker 3: middle of the field have been solid for us. And
Speaker 3: then up top we've got a handful of forwards and
Speaker 3: attacking players. Again, really hard to highlight any any one
Speaker 3: of them, but I'd go ahead and highlight Lucas and
Speaker 3: and Nate. Those guys have been quickly adapting to our
Speaker 3: system and h and executing with consistency.
Speaker 1: So cam, when folks walk in, how would you describe
Speaker 1: the style of play that you want to have FC
Speaker 1: Florida represent and what kind of player do you want
Speaker 1: representing FC Florida. I guess that's an on the field
Speaker 1: question and an off the field question the franchise when
Speaker 1: it comes to on the field look and off the
Speaker 1: field representation.
Speaker 2: For sure, it's a great question. Every team at FC
Speaker 2: Florida essentially plays the same or a very similar style
Speaker 2: for three to three possession based system. We're a high
Speaker 2: pressing group. So throughout the academy all the way up
Speaker 2: to NPSL, like to dominate possession, like to dominate the
Speaker 2: game without the ball by putting teams under pressure and
Speaker 2: and dictating the pace of the game. And I think
Speaker 2: just composer and playing out of tight space's combination play.
Speaker 2: Those are things we see through the academy and with
Speaker 2: NPSL also, and Victor had coached f C Florida for
Speaker 2: years and coached some of the most successful teams in
Speaker 2: FC Florida history, State Cup champions, national champions, so you know,
Speaker 2: he was really a part of building that style of
Speaker 2: play at FC Florida. And it's it seems like it's
Speaker 2: been a pretty seamless transition with him now taking over
Speaker 2: the NPSL and not really having to change from that system.
Speaker 1: Victor, what are the expectations? You know what we always
Speaker 1: talk about, we're hitting the ground running here. It's a
Speaker 1: full sprint. The Bell curve is basically like that that
Speaker 1: forty five degree angle where you're you're climbing the hill
Speaker 1: and you're hoping that you're in third gear and everything
Speaker 1: works in the car. What are the expectations in a
Speaker 1: very very tough conference in the sunshine here for year one,
Speaker 1: knowing that you're still trying to orient things and be
Speaker 1: ready for the second half of the season.
Speaker 3: I do, I do expect us to have a successful
Speaker 3: season and and making a very strong push for the playoffs. Ultimately,
Speaker 3: it's just a matter of these these young men being
Speaker 3: students of the game, giving you know, one hundred and
Speaker 3: twenty percent effort and and everything will really kind of
Speaker 3: come together. Granted, everyone's coming from different programs, different systems,
Speaker 3: different styles and and uh and coaches, but ultimately we
Speaker 3: all speak one language, and that's the language of football.
Speaker 3: So it's been a great experience, and the expectations are high.
Speaker 1: And when you when you have these very very high expectations,
Speaker 1: cam I know that literally you start the season and
Speaker 1: then you blink and you sit there and you go, well,
Speaker 1: where did the season go? What have you learned about
Speaker 1: yourselves as an organization? Piecing this together as quickly as
Speaker 1: you have to get the results that you're getting so far,
Speaker 1: and knowing the results that you want toward the end
Speaker 1: of the regular season for sure.
Speaker 2: It's a very compact season. It's the regular seasons a
Speaker 2: little under two months. So yeah, we're only three games in,
Speaker 2: but a month from now, the regular season's wrapped up
Speaker 2: and hopefully we're moving on to playoffs. I think to
Speaker 2: get there, we need to get a few more players. Clear,
Speaker 2: Like Victor ed mentioned and I mentioned earlier, I think
Speaker 2: that probably did hurt us in some of the early games,
Speaker 2: not having a full group, and now that we're getting
Speaker 2: very close to the full group, excited to see what
Speaker 2: you know, coach, and what the team can do. But
Speaker 2: I think I think we're in a really good position,
Speaker 2: and the next few games we know will will be
Speaker 2: a good test to show us exactly where we stand.
Speaker 2: When you play teams like Naples and Jacksonville, that's probably
Speaker 2: two of the top teams in our conference. So if
Speaker 2: we want to make a run in the playoffs, like
Speaker 2: we feel we have the ability to do, we we
Speaker 2: really need to prove it in those games.
Speaker 1: So Cam has stolen my notes and asking the next question, Victor,
Speaker 1: what has study hall been been like getting ready for
Speaker 1: this matchup with Naples, which is set for seven o'clock
Speaker 1: on Saturday night. What have you what have you studied?
Speaker 1: What do you know?
Speaker 3: I'd be honest, I don't know too much. But I
Speaker 3: have been involved with PSL and previously PDO, which is
Speaker 3: now USL two and and I and I am aware
Speaker 3: of how strong Jacksonville Armada are and Naples United. We've
Speaker 3: I've played against those programs previously. So even though to
Speaker 3: this day and for this season, I don't know too much.
Speaker 3: I know that they're very organized, well coached. They bring
Speaker 3: in very strong players, uh, from back to front, and
Speaker 3: and so those will be very competitive games. And like
Speaker 3: like Cam mentioned, you know, those will those will be
Speaker 3: uh a good opportunity for us to showcase and also
Speaker 3: see where we stand with with the rest of the group.
Speaker 1: So then, because the season is a sprint, coach, do
Speaker 1: you focus more on yourself with all of the players
Speaker 1: coming in trying to get everybody on the same page?
Speaker 1: Do you focus more on yourself and just kind of
Speaker 1: let the other team do their thing? Is that how
Speaker 1: you approach something like this.
Speaker 3: Uh, that's a good question. Definitely, the focus will will
Speaker 3: always be on on our team and playing effective soccer
Speaker 3: on both sides of the ball. But but we'll always
Speaker 3: we're always looking at making game adjustments. Uh, and we'll
Speaker 3: do that in every game. So yes, we focus on ourselves,
Speaker 3: but we also look to read and pick out our
Speaker 3: opponent's weaknesses and strengths and and see where we can
Speaker 3: gain the best opportunity.
Speaker 1: And I know, Cam, I've probably kind of buried the
Speaker 1: lead here a little bit. You know, I did mention
Speaker 1: you know, the founder and the owner, the guy by
Speaker 1: the name of John Texter. What's it like having him
Speaker 1: as a part of this process. Knowing all of the
Speaker 1: different footprints that he has in the game and all
Speaker 1: the different places that you can use as a resource.
Speaker 1: What's it like having him as a as a part
Speaker 1: of this pyramid that is a big learning process and
Speaker 1: launching something like this.
Speaker 2: That's been incredible, definitely, and we were really happy to
Speaker 2: have John support with building this NPSL team and entering
Speaker 2: the league. We've had coaches from Moll and Beek already
Speaker 2: come and work with our group. I think in the future,
Speaker 2: once you know, we're more integrated into the league and
Speaker 2: more established, and to be honest, we have more notice
Speaker 2: because we joined so late, I think we'll have a
Speaker 2: lot of opportunities to bring coaches and hopefully at some
Speaker 2: point bring players as well to be part of our group,
Speaker 2: and that I think is something we're really looking forward to.
Speaker 1: FC Florida dot com and on the social media's it
Speaker 1: is at Florida Prep. On the Facebook, it is on
Speaker 1: the IG, the Grammar, the insta, as the kids say
Speaker 1: these days, I don't know which one it is, it's
Speaker 1: FC Florida Prep. And then on the two hundred and
Speaker 1: eighty character app on Exit is FC Florida Prep. Cam
Speaker 1: Amsburg and Victor Sanchez, two of the brain trust making
Speaker 1: sure that things go off as swimmingly as possible when
Speaker 1: it comes to f C Florida and the Sunshine Conference
Speaker 1: in the NPSL. Gentlemen, thanks for an odd man rush
Speaker 1: here on at the SDH network. Good luck. We'll be
Speaker 1: keeping an eye on you the rest of the season
Speaker 1: and go get them this weekend against Naples.
Speaker 2: Thanks so much, John, Thank you so much,