After competing for six years in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), Albion San Diego kicks off its inaugural season as a member of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) on April 1 as it travels to face Valley United FC at Bell Bank Park Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. In December of last year the team, formerly known as Albion SC Pros, merged with San Diego 1904 FC, which had competed in NISA since 2019 and played its home matches at Canyon Crest Academy Stadium.
“We wanted to build a winning culture, a culture that embraced the community, got involved with the community, and was able to produce players. I think over time we proved it,” said Albion San Diego head coach Ziggy Korytoski. “It’s what we want to continue, it’s professional sports and the league doesn’t define who we are but it’s the people and the work involved. We’re just getting started on something very special here in San Diego.”
The team has a mixture of players with experience at the professional level covering NPSL, NISA, USL Championship, MLS, and also internationally such as midfielder Eduard Puga who played professional soccer in Denmark.
Albion San Diego took part in several preseason matches to get ready for the regular season, which will have a total of 26 games split evenly at home and away besides its home match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 6 with several hundred seats added to capacity in order to accommodate the large attendance expected at Canyon Crest Academy Stadium. After that game, the team plays LA Force, the first of four matches they will have versus its northern rivals, followed by a rematch with Valley United FC both at home.
“We’ve had a pretty solid preseason,” said Albion San Diego forward Eddie Benito. “Ziggy (Korytoski) has done a great job in having us play a certain way. I feel we’ll be in playoffs this upcoming season.” Benito played for 1904 FC during the 2021 NISA fall season and scored several goals along with providing keys assists. The team’s toughest stretch will come to close the season when it plays four of its final five games on the road with trips to Tennessee, Maryland, and Michigan within the span of a week before returning home to play California United Strikers FC on Oct. 8. Albion San Diego closes out the regular season on Oct. 15 with a road game against Bay Cities FC in San Mateo.
To learn the entire 2022 NISA schedule, visit https://www.nisaofficial.com/schedule.
