Valley United FC
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Valley United FC
| image = Valley United FC crest.svg
| upright = 0.7
| caption =
| fullname = Valley United Football Club
| nickname =
| founded = 2020
| dissolved = 2022
| ground =
| stadium = Bell Bank Park
Mesa, Arizona
| capacity = 5,000|
| owners = Majority-Troy Pearce, Yuval Raichman, Adrian Gaitan, Marcelo Piana
| chairman = Troy M Pearce (Managing Member)
| mgrtitle = Head Coach
| manager = Danny De Olivera
| league = National Independent Soccer Association
| season =
| current =
| position =
| website =
| pattern_la1 =
| pattern_b1 = _yellowstripes
| pattern_ra1 =
| pattern_sh1 =
| pattern_so1 =
| leftarm1 = 000080
| body1 = 000080
| rightarm1 = 000080
| shorts1 = 000080
| socks1 = 000080
| pattern_la2 =
| pattern_b2 =
| pattern_ra2 =
| pattern_sh2 =
| pattern_so2 =
| leftarm2 = FFFFFF
| body2 = FFFFFF
| rightarm2 = FFFFFF
| shorts2 = FFFFFF
| socks2 = FFFFFF
| owner = Troy M Pearce, Carlos Adrian Gaitan, Marcelo J Piana, Yuval Raichman
| owntitle = LLC Members
| Owner Information Link = Owners are listed on the Arizona Corporation Commission. Member=Owner.
https://ecorp.azcc.gov/BusinessSearch/BusinessInfo?entityNumber=23270185
}}
Valley United FC was an American professional soccer club based in Phoenix, Arizona that played in the National Independent Soccer Association, in the 3rd tier of the US soccer pyramid, from 2022.{{cite web |title=NISA APPROVES VALLEY UNITED FC APPLICATION |url=https://nisasoccer.com/news/2021/09/16/nisa-approves-valley-united-fc-application |website=nisasoccer.com |publisher=NISA |access-date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118215941/https://nisasoccer.com/news/2021/09/16/nisa-approves-valley-united-fc-application |url-status=live }}
History
Valley United FC was founded in 2020 as Atletico Olympians FC and joined UPSL in the same year, as played in the Southwest Conference, Arizona Division.{{cite web |title=NISA approves Valley United FC application |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CT5BRM8p9nZ/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CT5BRM8p9nZ |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram |publisher=Valley United FC |access-date=18 November 2021}}{{cbignore}} In the summer of 2021, the team also participated in 2021 NISA Independent Cup, as played in Southwest Region. In September 2021, the team rebranded as "Valley United Football Club" and was accepted into the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) for the 2022 season.{{cite web |title=NISA Approves Valley United FC Application |url=https://www.valleyunitedsc.com/news/2021/09/16/nisa-approves-valley-united-fc-application |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217040208/https://www.valleyunitedsc.com/news/2021/09/16/nisa-approves-valley-united-fc-application |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |website=www.valleyunitedsc.com |publisher=Valley United FC |access-date=18 November 2021}} Valley United FC was the first Latino-owned club in the nascent league.{{cite web |title=WELCOME ABOARD: NISA adds Valley United FC for 2022 |url=https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021/09/16/welcome-aboard-nisa-adds-valley-united-fc-for-2022/ |website=www.frontrowsoccer.com |date=17 September 2021 |publisher=Front Row Soccer |access-date=27 December 2021 |archive-date=27 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227102142/https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021/09/16/welcome-aboard-nisa-adds-valley-united-fc-for-2022/ |url-status=live }} At the time of their founding, VUFC was one of three professional soccer teams in Arizona alongside USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC and USL1 club FC Tucson. The club's reserve team, Valley United FC U23 participated in the Southwest Region of the NISA Nation, at an amateur soccer league sanctioned by the US Amateur Soccer Association.
The club participated in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup competition, falling 0-1 in the second round to cross-town rival Phoenix Rising in extra time.{{Cite web |title=Phoenix Rising FC 1-0 Valley United FC (Apr 6, 2022) Final Score |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/632594 |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=ESPN |language=en}}
On May 17, 2022, the team announced that they were working through "internal roster issues at the club" which resulted in the resignation of Head Coach Adrian Gaitan and General Manager Yuval Raichman and Danny De Olivera was promoted to the team's head coach.{{Cite web |title=Update to NISA / VUFC Statement |url=https://www.nisaofficial.com/news/2022/05/19/update-to-nisa--vufc-statement-mayvalley |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=www.nisaofficial.com |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728061800/https://www.nisaofficial.com/news/2022/05/19/update-to-nisa--vufc-statement-mayvalley |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=UPDATE TO NISA / VUFC STATEMENT |url=https://www.nisaofficial.com/news/2022/06/02/update-to-nisa--vufc-statement |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=www.nisaofficial.com}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=Trouble in the Valley |url=https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/coverage/nisa-valleyunited-immigration-issues |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Protagonist Soccer |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728051355/https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/coverage/nisa-valleyunited-immigration-issues |url-status=live }} The issues, identified as alleged violations of United States Immigration law, involved six players, who were released from the club. The roster violations resulted in a forfeit of six league matches. The team went on to play three more matches before suspending operations for the season on July 26, 2022. To promote "sporting integrity," all VUFC results were removed, ultimately resulting in a forfeit of the entire season.{{Cite web |title=Update to NISA / VUFC Statement |url=https://www.nisasoccer.com/news/2022/07/26/update-to-nisa--vufc-statement |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=www.nisasoccer.com |archive-date=2023-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531092629/https://nisasoccer.com/news/2022/07/26/update-to-nisa--vufc-statement |url-status=live }}
Players
=Current roster=
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|pos=GK|nat=USA|name=Samuel Howard}}
{{Fs player|no=3|pos=DF|nat=COL|name=Gustavo Vargas}}
{{Fs player|no=4|pos=DF|nat=PAR|name=Samuel Cáceres}}
{{Fs player|no=5|pos=MF|nat=USA|name=Nicholas Gaitan}}
{{Fs player|no=7|pos=MF|nat=MEX|name=Ricardo Gordillo-Velazquez}}
{{Fs player|no=8|pos=MF|nat=USA|name=Luis Gil}}
{{Fs player|no=9|pos=FW|nat=USA|name=Alexander Tejera}}
{{Fs player|no=10|pos=MF|nat=ARG|name=Sebastian Contreras}}
{{Fs player|no=11|pos=FW|nat=SPA|name=Mustafa Troncoso}}
{{Fs player|no=12|pos=DF|nat=COL|name=David Diosa}}
{{Fs player|no=13|pos=GK|nat=SPA|name=Javier Olmedo}}
{{Fs player|no=14|pos=MF|nat=GHA|name=Jeffrey Otoo}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=15|pos=MF|nat=Dominica|name=Gylles Mitchel}}
{{Fs player|no=16|pos=DF|nat=USA|name=Kyle Nelson}}
{{Fs player|no=18|pos=DF|nat=FRA|name=Robin Lafarge}}
{{Fs player|no=22|pos=FW|nat=USA|name=Ricardo Velazco}}
{{Fs player|no=23|pos=DF|nat=USA|name=Stephen Elias}}
{{Fs player|no=24|pos=MF|nat=USA|name=Facundo Canete}}
{{Fs player|no=25|pos=MF|nat=USA|name=Nathan Monsanto}}
{{Fs player|no=27|pos=DF|nat=USA|name=Daniel Herrera}}
{{Fs player|no=29|pos=MF|nat=USA|name=Robert Byron Jacobs}}
{{Fs player|no=42|pos=DF|nat=CMR|name=David Koloko}}
{{Fs player|no=99|pos=FW|nat=USA|name=Ty Meagher}}
{{Fs end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{National Independent Soccer Association}}
{{Arizona Sports}}
Category:Soccer clubs in Phoenix, Arizona
Category:Association football clubs established in 2020
Category:National Independent Soccer Association teams
Category:2020 establishments in Arizona
Category:United Premier Soccer League teams