Vallejo Omega FC announced this week it is joining the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) for the upcoming fall season. Their first UPSL match will be Saturday August 28 vs. JASA RWC of Redwood City at 7 p.m. at Dan Foley Park in Vallejo.
In an interview with the Vallejo Times-Herald, co-head coach Jonathan Tzun cited the UPSL’s stability as the club’s primary reason for making the switch.
“I think the UPSL is a lot more organized than the NSL in regard to schedules and referees,” Tzun said. “Every time we play at home in the new league, it will be at 7 p.m. at Dan Foley.”
Vallejo’s decision is the latest salvo in an ongoing competition between the two leagues for local teams. Seven Northern California clubs left the UPSL in July 2020 to form the NSL’s Pacific Division, which recently completed its first season. Vallejo finished in third place and lost in the playoff semifinals to Atlético East Bay on penalty kicks.
Building a competitive team for the upcoming fall season will be challenging for Vallejo Omega and other clubs that rely on active college players. Tzun told the Times-Herald that he is hoping to work with Concord-based Atlético East Bay to have some of their players join Vallejo Omega for the upcoming fall season.
The UPSL was founded in 2011 and includes more than 300 teams nationally. The National Soccer League (NSL) formed in 2000 and has approximately 70 teams nationwide.
