Akron City Football Club brings soccer to Akron
Players high-five fans while heading onto the field, fans cheer and heckle good-naturedly, kids run a lap on the field. The energy is high during Akron City Football Club minor league games at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School’s stadium.
On opening day of its debut season this May, more than 1,100 fans cheered on the National Premier League soccer team, and the team delivered a win.
“To see that many people show up for this new thing was great,” says co-owner Nick Turchan.
The 36-person team is mostly comprised of Ohio college soccer players like goalkeeper Cameron Victor of the University of Akron and defender Ryan Kolonick of Cleveland State University, who play each other during the college season.
“Now they’re on the same team,” Turchan says. “I want to unite everybody around soccer.”
That mindset is why Turchan encourages local youth soccer teams to come to games together and why there’s a beer garden for older fans, where they can enjoy the team-inspired Hoppin’ Frog Brewery Kickin’ Blackberry Turbo shandy. It’s all about building a community around soccer.
“You hear people say, This is cool to have this in Akron,” Turchan says. “This thing could be really big.”