The NPSL Briefing: The National Championship
Hickory FC travels to face El Farolito
Welcome to the National Championship Edition of The NPSL Briefing! We've kept you updated throughout the Summer season, and we're thrilled to see Hickory FC with a shot at the title! Below is our preview of the game.
National Championship:
Hickory FC vs El Farolito
Saturday, August 2 at 8:00pm EST
Kezar Stadium (San Francisco, CA; Capacity 9044)
The NPSL National Championship game has arrived, and the two teams involved are both undefeated for the season. Their differences run deep, and not just because the clubs are separated by almost 2700 miles.
El Farolito
This is the El Farolito. If you're reading this, you're almost certainly a fan of lower division soccer, which means you've probably heard of El Farolito. They've played havoc in the US Open Cup, beating professional teams in each of the last two Cups, and taking home the prize for being making it farther than any other semi-pro team. Farolito comes in as the #1 overall ranked NPSL team, having won every regular season game, scoring 41 goals, while only allowing 3 (12 games). They did have one close game in the playoffs, a 2-1 win over Sacramento Gold, but were pretty safe on the way through otherwise. As the home team, they'll certainly be favored. El Farolito was founded in 1985, and won the US Open Cup in 1993. They're very experienced in big games and are the defending NPSL Champions.
Hickory FC
Hickory came through their ten game regular season undefeated as well, but did have one draw (0-0 against Bristol Rhythm). They scored 31 goals, and allowed 7 through the summer. Their last three playoff games were all decided by single goals. They'll need that scrappy nature if they're going to pull off the upset here. Hickory drew over 39,000 home fans during the season, including a crowd of more than 6,000 for their semifinal match. This is just their second season, but they've been exceptional since day one.
Kezar Stadium
San Francisco's Kezar Stadium is a star in its own right. The original stadium opened for business in 1925, and was most famous as the first home of both the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. The stadium also made a noteworthy appearance in Dirty Harry in 1971. The original stadium had to be demolished in 1989, and was rebuilt and then remodeled as the stadium that's there today. It will be the future home to MLS NEXT Pro side Golden City FC and will go through $10 million in refurbishments.
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