With the collaboration of STA and FC Motown, the FC Motown STA will once again compete in the USL Academy League (USLA) in the summer of 2024 for its second season.

FC Motown STA will field an academy team featuring STA 2005 & 2006 players, collegiate players under STA, and a few USL players. This opportunity will challenge each player on a higher level under one of the nation’s top leagues.

Training at least twice per week with full-time professional staff, home games are played at Turkey Brook Park in Flanders, NJ. The team looks forward to welcoming fans and members of the STA family at Turkey Brook with hopes of igniting a passion in the next generation.

Some familiar faces are featured on this year’s squad, including Jason Bourgey from Rutgers University and Micaah Garnette from the University of Portland. Bourgey and Garnette were the leading goal scorers of the returning members from the USLA’s 2023 team.

Head Coach Matthew Farrell has been coaching for over 20 + years. Originally from Liverpool, England, Matthew decided to come to test his skills here in the United States and to continue teaching his craft to others. Alongside his coaching staff comes Assistant Coach Wayne Wardle, who also holds 20 + years of coaching experience and holds a UEFA B License.

FC Motown STA team missed playoffs by one place last season during the 2023 campaign. This season, the squad is currently at the top of the table after defeating FC Copa 2-1 on June 19th. With the experience of last season, the USL Academy feels more equipped to handle league competition.

Coach Wayne Wardle said, “The USL Academy creates a great pathway feel from the youth through the elite stages of soccer while bringing a higher sense of professionalism which reminds me of the European experience.”

“Working with STA and partnering for FC Motown has been a great decision in my chapter, but now the focus must be to continue winning games and qualifying for nationals, and to become the best USL Academy team in the nation”

As the team approaches the midway point of the season, FC Motown STA is currently unbeaten and sits in first place of the Mid-Atlantic Division. The boys will look to continue their winning ways in the second half of the 2024 campaign and strive to qualify for playoffs.