As El Farolito Soccer Club nears the semifinals of the Hank Steinbrecher Cup, head coach Santiago López reflects on the challenges they face. Despite being recognized as a leading amateur team and excelling in events like the U.S. Open Cup, progress is stifled by the existing lack of pathways for promotion in U.S. Soccer. The team, composed mainly of Latino immigrants from San Francisco, prepared for their semifinal against West Chester United SC while embracing a rare opportunity to focus on soccer without distractions from work or busy lives.
"This is pretty much as far as we can go," López said, highlighting the limitations of the current promotion system in U.S. Soccer despite their strong amateur team performance.
"For a lot of us, this is the life we'd like to have," López reflects on the experience of a focused, team-oriented lifestyle during the tournament.
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