The US May Be Out of the World Cup. But Bay Area Soccer Is Here to Stay

Oakland Roots

Where else could you see E-40 perform at a soccer halftime show than in Oakland?

The Bay Area hip-hop legend played some of his biggest hits to thousands of fans at the home opener for the Oakland Roots at the Coliseum earlier this year. The club — playing since 2019 and currently competing in the men’s USL Championship league — is now fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Many fans say that rooting for the team reminds them of when the Raiders and A’s played in Oakland.

“It’s good for us to have some sports here again,” said Oakland resident Tatiana Wells. While she did not play soccer growing up, she said that the sport finally caught her attention when the Roots proudly claimed the Town.

Her recommendation to other Oaklanders? “Start following soccer and follow our local club!”

Oakland Soul

In 2023, the Roots launched Oakland Soul, currently competing in the women’s USL W League. The team finished third in its division, outperforming more well-established teams. The team had some fantastic performances this season, winning 6-0 against Marin FC Siren on June 17.

“At an Oakland Soul game, you see so many families coming out because they want to enjoy the sunshine on a Sunday afternoon,” said Tommy Hodul, vice president of public relations for the Roots and Soul. “And it’s a beautiful experience.”

Thanks to USL W League rules, Soul can build their roster with student-athletes from the Bay Area’s universities. That gives local players a big opportunity to develop their talent before going pro. Santa Clara-raised Shae Murison became Soul’s top scorer last season and is now set to join the Utah Royals FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Oakland Soul’s regular season schedule for next year is set to start in May.

San Francisco City FC

Have you seen folks walking around with a soccer jersey that boldly features the Muni logo?

That’s the jersey for San Francisco City FC, which plays in the semi-professional men’s USL League Two. Most players are students at nearby universities — cheered on by an extensive network of supporters that resembles what you’d see in Latin American and European clubs.

Filmmaker Daniel Díaz moved to San Francisco from London five years ago and wanted to find a club that he could build a relationship with, like what he already has with his favorite British team, Tottenham Hotspur. Back in London, Díaz and other Tottenham fans fill up the stadium singing, “When the Spurs go marching in,” to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

“I think the moment that really tugged on my heartstrings was hearing San Francisco City fans singing their song, ‘When the fog comes rolling in,’” Díaz said. “That was the moment I knew that this is my club, that I’m in the right place.”

Outside the field, San Francisco City fans are particularly creative in building community. Their jerseys each year feature San Francisco landmarks beloved by locals: Sutro Tower, the Japantown Peace Pagoda and the parrots of Telegraph Hill. The club has even organized several pub crawls with the city’s Municipal Transportation Agency.

Many fans have team memberships, which give them the right to vote on almost every major decision. Similar to how professional teams in Germany operate, SF City runs on a 50+1 ownership model, where club members hold a majority of team shares.

With 10 wins (and only one loss and one draw), SF City FC has dominated its division this season. The team has two regular-season matches left and has a strong chance of advancing to the playoffs, representing Northern California in the national USL League Two tournament.

Afghan Premier FC

For more than 30 years, Afghan Premier Football Club has developed soccer talent in Fremont — home to one of the largest Afghan communities in the nation.

“Fremont was the hub for Afghan refugees in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” said Afghan Premier FC coach Musa Mojaddedi, who first joined the team as a player more than two decades ago. “There were even parts of Fremont known as ‘Little Kabul.’”

Among the Afghan families settling down in the East Bay, there were also young men who loved soccer and wanted to keep playing in their new home. That’s how Afghan Premier FC — then known as Afghan Soccer Club — was born in 1991. The team travelled extensively around the world playing against other clubs in the Afghan diaspora, but it wouldn’t be until 2024 that Afghan Premier FC joined a semi-professional league in California.

“The team is not just open to Afghan players,” said Mojaddedi. “It’s open to diversity, no matter your race, culture, background, or religion.”

Last year, the team joined the League for Clubs — and while Mojaddedi is excited about playing against teams from all over the state, he points out that the team relies heavily on its community to survive. “We try to raise funds from local sponsors as much as we can, from donations, from friends, family,” he said, “because most players are college students.”

Afghan Premier’s home field is at Fremont’s Ohlone College, and while their league’s season began earlier, the team postponed their games till the first week of April to accommodate the players observing the holy month of Ramadan.

While the team advanced to the semifinals in this season’s playoffs, it fell against Roseville’s Iron Rose FC on June 27.

El Farolito SC

If this team’s name sounds familiar to you, that’s because, yes: it’s named after the longstanding San Francisco-based taquería chain El Farolito.

The restaurant’s founder, Salvador López, started the team back in 1985, and players sport a bright yellow and blue soccer kit — the same color palette you’ll see in any of the El Farolito taquerías. The team competes in the semi-professional National Premier Soccer League and features many players with previous experience at the professional level in Latin America.

“The people who are behind the taquerías and everybody who’s part of the soccer team, we’re a big family,” said Santiago López, who now leads the team after his father’s passing in 2021. “We have a big responsibility representing this name and the Mission District.”

El Farolito made it all the way to the NPSL National Championship final last year but lost 3-2 to Hickory FC from North Carolina. But López is confident in his team, who have also won their conference title four years in a row.

“We’re not a club that just wants to sit in the same spot and just compete locally,” he said. “Fans might see a new local talent that eventually turns pro.”

El Farolito is currently at the top of its division in the NPSL and will play in its conference semifinals on Friday. If the team wins, it could potentially play against the Oakland Stompers — another historic Bay Area soccer institution — in a bid to claim the title of the best NPSL squad in the region.

This story has been updated to reflect that San Francisco City FC’s season opener against San Juan SC will be played at San Francisco State University’s Cox Stadium.