In the wake of a very successful inaugural Select League campaign (for both the league and club) that saw the Royals emerge as champions, Woodland FC have earned the opportunity to represent the Select League in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This tournament, one of the oldest in the United States, will be a fantastic opportunity for the Shawnee club to earn some respect for the Kansas City metro based league.
"The chance to prove something isn't lost on us," owner Ross Harris said. "Our players are chomping at the bit to prove their mettle, and we are eager to prove that our league is full of talent and growing."
Woodland FC will be the only club in all of Kansas and Missouri to participate in the Select League at the non-professional level.
The club has also had to reinforce the roster in the league offseason. Standout defender Johnathan Young, rising stars Haddon DeMoure and Joseph Caughron, midfield mainstays Spence Jean-Baptiste, Pierre Bellerice, Erik Calderon, and stellar keeper Naguib Nassir all have fall commitments keeping them from Open Cup participation. Dawud Radwan, and Max Torres were also fall losses.
"We lost some proper talent in the offseason, and rebuilding the roster hasn't been easy, but we have built back with good strength. We might have a smaller team, but we still have quality all over the pitch with our core contributors," Harris said. "Sports are always about changing and adapting to the situation, and we are working daily to critically solve these problems, and turn them into solutions."
"The first man through the wall is always bloodied," Harris went on to say. "We are the first representative in our league's history, and we are aware of the herculean task in front of us. We are hoping to prove to potential players in the area that we are the standard, and if they want serious, competitive soccer in the KC metro area, they should highly consider us."
The Royals begin their Open Cup qualification process against an opponent that is still TBD on either October 26th or 27th. The location of the match is also TBD.
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