Diana Alba Soular | Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES - A new men's soccer team called FC Grande aims to put Las Cruces soccer on the national map.

The new minor league team — the first of its kind in the city — could put some Las Cruces soccer players on the road to semi-pro or professional teams, organizers said.

"There hasn't been something like this in Las Cruces ever, nothing at this level," said Phillip Flores, one of two FC Grande coaches.

The Los Angeles-based United Premier Soccer League announced earlier this month that FC Grande will join the league starting in the 2018 spring season. The team will be a member of the Southwest Conference.

Las Crucen Alexis Ruiz, 21, founder of FC Grande and a former soccer player at Las Cruces High School, said he played at the community college level in Tucson for part of 2016. He returned to Las Cruces, enrolling at Doña Ana County College, and joined a team that plays in a local men's league. He said it was a talented group of players, and he started thinking about "taking this team to the next level."

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He began researching soccer leagues, and that's when he found UPSL. He began recruiting sponsors. Slowly but surely, support grew. And the all-men's team was founded.

Josh Bachman/Sun-News

Tryouts scheduled

The first tryouts are slated for 10 a.m. Dec. 9 and 10 at Soldado Sports Complex, 1589 E. Hadley Ave., Las Cruces. They're open to people ages 16 and older. There's a $20 admission fee. Only people 17 and older can compete in the league. But Ruiz said the 16-year-olds can be part of the team, prepping for when they become eligible.

Ruiz said the team will be comprised of about 30 people, enough to have a first and a secondary team. Only 18 players can travel for league games.

The team likely will host a second round of tryouts sometime in January, according to Ruiz.

The team is described as based pro development level. Ruiz said it's a fourth-division professional team.

"It means it's a tier under the professional level," said Flores, a longtime Las Cruces-based soccer coach.

Yan Skwara, United Premier Soccer League commissioner, said he was "excited that FC Grande out of New Mexico has made the jump to the UPSL."

"FC Grande is a vibrant club in the soccer-crazy Southwest, and we look forward to building the level of competition in the region," he said.

Josh Bachman/Sun-News

'Too much talent'

The league was founded in 2011 and consists of more than 100 teams, according to the organization.

FC Grande's first games won't take place until April or May of 2018. In addition to home games, the team might have to travel to surrounding states, such as Arizona to play. But Ruiz said he's hoping more New Mexico teams join the league before then.

Ruiz said he's been impressed with the talent pool among Las Cruces soccer players. The new team's membership could include, among others, former high school soccer players who didn't attend college, college athletes or people who played at the college level and are looking for other opportunities, he said.

"It's kind of cool to see all these doors that closed for these players open again," he said. "This area has needed something like this. There's too much talent out here for there not to be a team like this."

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said the new soccer team "sounds like a great idea."

"Soccer is becoming a very big sport throughout the United States," he said. "Soccer, or fútbol, as it's called in Mexico, is very big, and considering we are a border state, this allows us the opportunity to watch both American football and soccer."

Upward bound

FC Grande will give players a chance to be noticed by professional or semi-pro teams in the league, organizers said.

"This is just one step forward into evolving the soccer community into really getting exposed for greater things," Flores said. "This gives a chance not only for players but for coaches, as well."

Not only do the players have a chance to move into higher tiers, but the team itself does, too. By increasing its competitiveness, it could become reclassified at a higher level, such as semi-pro, organizers said.

"I'm excited to push these players to the next level," Flores said.

Schedule to be announced

The team will play home games at a city-owned soccer field near the Field of Dreams, 2501 Tashiro Drive. The 2018 schedule hasn't been announced yet.

Eventually, Ruiz said, he'd like to found a women's team and a youth development team.

For information about FC Grande, email fc.grande@yahoo.com.