Project 51O

Project 51O shared the spoils with visiting Racing Sacramento City FC Saturday, as they could not break a 1-1 deadlock on a postcard day at Oakland Root’s Training Facility. 51O was seeking their 6th straight win in UPSL play, after a gritty 3-2 victory against local rivals Sacramento United in their last match. 

Despite dominating the run of play, 51O found themselves heading into the half time break down one goal to nil, as a defense splitting through was pounced upon by the visitors in red, and poked home to give the Team from the Town a comeback project in the second half. 

The second half yielded more frustration, as Racing’s backline and defense turned back wave after wave of 51O pressure. Deep into second half stoppage time, 51O’s persistence would pay off, as Javier Ruiz Duran’s well-whipped corner ricocheted around the 6-yard line, and was eventually bundled in by Estgar Cruz to tie the game, much to the delight of the home fans in attendance. 

The draw reinforces 51O’s hold on the top of the division, as they have taken 16 points from 6 matches. The Western Conference leaders will take their undefeated league record on the road next weekend, when they take on Acoreano Sport in Hilmar on October 16th.

Project 51O made it three wins from three UPSL games on Saturday, dispatching Merced United by an empathetic three goals to nil at the Oakland Roots Training Facility. After blanking MCSC Jaguars by a score of 6-0 in Salinas last Saturday, 51O returned home hoping to keep their early season run of form rolling. Unblemished blue skies and a temperature of just below 70 degrees provided the perfect atmosphere for a beautiful day of football, and 51O took full advantage. 

Despite a lionshare of possession and trademark intricate interplay, 51O’s attack was stymied for the majority of the first half, thanks to the stout structure of Merced United’s experienced backline. As the halftime whistle approached, it looked like the Team from the Town would have to wait for a breakthrough, but as first half stoppage time began, captain Javi Ruiz Duran scythed through the middle of the pitch with a purposeful driving run and slipped Etsgar Cruz in on goal. The 17 year old analyzed his angles, adjusted his body, and slotted a cool finish past Merced United’s goalkeeper, a sight that has become all too familiar for opposition teams over the past months. 

Buoyed by the momentum swing the late strike provided, 51O picked up where they left off in the second half, bombarding the Merced backline. It did not take long to strike paydirt again, as Julian Valle spotted Ruiz Duran’s streaking run from left back, and lofted a ball over the heads of Merced’s backline. Ruiz Duran’s perfectly weighted first time cross was met by Luis Saldaña, who tapped in to cap off another trademark team goal, and give 51O some much needed breathing room.

Saldaña would strike for his brace just moments later, receiving a cushioned layoff from Cruz, and powering a low, dipping strike into the bottom corner that evaded the dive of Merced United’s goalkeeper, ending any hope the visitors might have had for a miraculous comeback. 

The shutout was 51O’s third in a row, and the three goals on the day brought the team’s tally to 14 in just three matches, proving the youth movement is well and truly alive in The Town. 51O will look to make it four wins in a row next Saturday, when they make take on East County Revolution at 2:00 PM PT.

Project 51Os kickstarted their 2022 Fall UPSL season in style Wednesday night under the lights at Ohlone College, securing a commanding 5-0 win over Stockton TLJ FC. 51O’s opening day lineup featured some familiar faces from the USL League Two season, including Roots Academy contract signees Etsgar Cruz, Edwin Rodriguez, Javi Bedolla-Vera, and Damario McIntosh, but due to the overlapping NCAA college season, the majority of the squad is under the age of 18. 

51O scored the only goal they would need just 10 minutes into the match. A crisp line breaking pass from the excellent Randol Vila found the feet of Julian Valle, who located McIntosh bursting down the right wing. McIntosh served a deliciously whipped curling cross into the six yard box that arced onto the head of Valle, who opened 51O’s account on the year with a well-directed finish. Despite comfortably controlling the flow of the match, 51O went into halftime just one goal to the good, leaving the door open for TLJ to find an equalizer. 

The floodgates would open for the team from The Town in the 72nd minute of the match, as 51O pounced on a sloppy giveaway at the back, and Carlos Cruz was on hand at the back post to tap home for some much needed insurance. Two became three just 7 minutes later: another trademark burst into the box by the marauding McIntosh saw him square the ball to the onrushing Valle, who made no mistake, bundling the ball into the near post for his second of the night. 

8 minutes from fulltime, a long, searching ball found the feet of McIntosh on the right side of the box. The fourteen year-old wingback sized up his defender, feinted to the right with a stepover and cut on to his left foot, before unleashing a low rasping drive past the helpless TLJ goalkeeper, capping a man of the match performance with a well-taken goal. 

As the sun set over the South Bay hills, Carlos Cruz administered the coup de grâce, driving past two TLJ defenders and finishing with aplomb for his brace, ensuring a quiet bus ride back to the Central Valley for the visitors. 

“It’s always great to start the season with 3 points,” 51O Head Coach Mikey Hannon said after the match. “Last night was a solid result, and a good performance, but we still have areas we need to improve on to strive for that higher standard we look to hold within our environment.”

With the win, 51O climbed to the top of the UPSL’s NorCal Premier Division. 51O faces a quick turnaround, as they will return to UPSL action this Saturday, when they take on MCSC Jaguars at Alisal High School in Salinas.

Oakland Roots have signed three players from Project 51O to academy contracts, 15-year-old Edwin Rodriguez and Damrio McIntosh and 17-year-old Etsgar Cruz. 

All three were part of the USL League Two side that won the Southwest Division Championship alongside fellow academy contract signings Timothy Syrel, Javier Mariona, Javier Bedolla-Vera and Lorenzo Hernandez. 

Rodriguez is a Pittsburg High School student who has played for Newark FC since 2017. The Pitsburg, California native made three starts for Project 51O in the spring season. He was a member of the 2006 age group NPL National Championship team this year with Newark led by coach Ryan Medrano. He is also part of US Club Soccer’s Player Development Programs (PDP) for the last six years, a state pool PDP player and played in the futures tournament in 2019.

“Edwin is a young GK we are excited about and believe has high-potential,” said Oakland Roots Technical Director Jordan Ferrell. “He’s tackled each challenge thrown his way from joining Project 51O to integrating into first team training and exceeded expectations each time. 

Damario McIntosh is a 15-year-old defender from Newark, California. McIntosh is also a  product of Newark FC, and was the youngest member of the Project 51O squad, having been born in 2007. McIntosh recently completed his freshman season at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, where he scored a team leading 14 goals in just 11 appearances. McIntosh was recently selected to take part in Northern California’s prestigious Player Development Program three day residential camp in Davis. He scored the game winning goal for Project 51O late in a match vs Marin FC last spring. 

“Damario is an intelligent young wingback who has used the opportunities with Project 51O over the past year to truly grow as a player and person,” said Ferrell. “His relatively quick adjustment to men’s football and drive to continue growing as a player have led to our confidence in him and his progression into the first team. 

Etsgar Cruz, is a 17-year-old attacking midfielder from Modesto, California. He is a product of SUSC Halcones youth club and Ceres High School. Cruz scored the division clinching goal for Project 51O in the last second of the last regular season match to help lead the team to the title. 

“Etsgar’s creative attacking play has seen him travel through our system quickly this year, from Roots Recognize Initiative to making a significant impact in Project 51O this summer. He interprets space and time cleverly and provides the team with novel, incisive ideas to create goals consistently,” said Ferrell. “We are excited to see him in our first team environment on a daily basis as the next step in his pathway.” 

Welcome to the first team. Continue to 51GROW always.

“Playing in front of Ballard’s 1,500 fans was a great experience all around, and it was such an important game for us, regardless of the result.” — Head Coach Hannon

It has been more than a few weeks since Project 51O’s inaugural season ended at the hands of Ballard FC in Seattle’s Interbay Stadium, and Mikey Hannon is in reflection mode. Despite the inevitable disappointment that follows a loss, especially in a playoff setting, Project 51O’s Welsh gaffer is quick to highlight the professional development that the youngest team in USL League Two enjoyed during the past season. “Young players like Damario McIntosh and Estgar Cruz are better prepared to step on the field at Laney in the future, because they’ve already come up against a crowd where fans are shouting and chanting,” Hannon explains. “From a professional standpoint, this is another tool that they’ve added to their arsenal that will better prepare them if they are called upon for the next stage.”

Hannon’s key role in 51O’s Southwest Division championship and playoff appearance has not gone unnoticed by the league office. He was recently selected as one of six coaches nominated for USL League Two’s Coach of the Year award, a monumental accomplishment that reflects the remarkable nature of 51O’s squad makeup, and its firm commitment to the development of its players.

Player development has always been at the forefront of Hannon’s experience in the game. Born and raised in the idyllic Welsh coastal city of Swansea, he found himself drawn to the game in its purest form, on the street. “I played most of my childhood on the streets of Swansea,” he recalled. “We played different games, using the garages as goals, playing against neighboring streets, not thinking about anything else, just enjoying the game.” 

Hannon’s origin story might suggest a long career playing for boyhood club Swansea A.F.C., or pulling on the famed red kit of the Welsh national team, but his path would point him in a different direction. “At Swansea College, I had two lecturers who were working at Swansea City and Arsenal soccer schools, and they got us involved in coaching,” said Hannon. “Working under those two helped me gain more insight into the game, and I wanted to be a part of it at a bigger level.”

“The improvement we have made in our triangular relationships has been our chief focus, and our ability to utilize our possession base to get out of tight situations, and expose teams on their weak side has been extremely impressive, especially when we consider how players have grown in their understanding of the concepts. Their focus and attention to detail has been next level.”

— Head Coach Hannon

“Obviously, a young player that steps into a professional environment and immediately lights it up is a rare occurrence, so we want to start by helping as many players as possible to get into the first team, and develop from there.” — Head Coach Hannon

Project 51O’s inaugural USL League Two season ended Sunday in heartbreaking fashion, dropping a 2-1 result to Ballard FC at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. Third-seeded 51O looked to build on their successful first season less than a week after winning the division championship, while fourth seeded hosts Ballard sought to take advantage of their home field advantage and a short week for their opponents from East Bay. 51O boss Mikey Hannon continued to trust youth in the biggest match of the season, starting five players born in 2004 or later, including 14 year-old Damario McIntosh. 

It was Ballard who started the match on the front foot, spurred on by the 1,500 fans in attendance. After a giveaway from 51O at midfield, the home side burst forward with a quick counter, but Seattle Pacific forward Alex Mejia’s low drive was saved sharply by the stalwart Tim Syrel in the 9th minute. Just a few minutes later, some trademark 51O buildup saw Estgar Cruz slipped through on the endline. Cruz’s low cross was pinpoint, aimed towards Javi Mariona’s clever run at the back post, but a last-ditch tackle from Nik Reierson poked the ball just past the endline before Mariona could tap the ball into the net.

Project 51O will be back in action this fall, when they embark on their UPSL fall season journey. The boys are very grateful for all the support during their inaugural season, and look forward to seeing you all soon. Stay tuned for 51O updates, and always remember: to 51GROW.

Just down Allston Way, about a mile from the Oakland-Berkeley border, there is a modest community park, nestled into the surrounding neighborhood. From the outside looking in, Strawberry Creek Park is unassuming, tucked away into a grove of trees and frequented by young families watching their children gleefully swing on the monkey bars. But, as the sun starts to set and the day crowd meanders back to their homes, Strawberry Creek transforms into a proving ground. The floodlights illuminate a small concrete court, as young ballers from all over the Bay congregate to play the purest form of the game: street soccer. 

“We call it the cages,” said Gabriel Bracken-Serra. A fleeting smile flickers across the 20 year-old’s face as he describes the park. “I would go with a couple of my friends, or my brother, and we would play until the lights went out. I would even go after high school games. I just wanted to play so badly.”

Bracken-Serra’s game reflects the time he spent navigating the cramped nooks and crannies of Strawberry Creek’s cages. Project 51O’s smooth midfield pivot controls the tempo of a match like a composer commands his orchestra, with metronomic precision. His close control and array of ball rolls and drag-backs make relieving Bracken-Serra of the ball an unenviable task, while his well-varied range of passing opens previously unseen channels. “I really enjoy watching Xavi and Toni Kroos,” said Bracken-Serra. “I love the players that use their brain and don’t just play with their athleticism, the ones that play great passes that nobody else sees.” 

As Bracken-Serra continued to improve his standing playing for Lamorinda, he parlayed his club form into a sterling high school career. A four-year varsity letter winner at Berkeley High, Bracken-Serra captained the Yellow Jackets to a WACC League title his senior year, racking up 12 goals and 12 assists from midfield, and garnering a First Team All Conference nod in the process. “Playing with Berkeley High was always super fun, because you’re playing with friends that you’ve grown up with,” said Bracken-Serra. “Playing high school is almost like playing for your country at that age. You play for your city.”

Despite excelling on both the club and high school front, Bracken-Serra’s college recruiting journey was anything but seamless. “To be honest, I wasn’t recruited that much in high school,” he admitted. “I thought that I had what it took when it came to technique and feel for the game, but the physicality aspect was preventing me from getting looks from college coaches.” Bracken-Serra also faced an uphill battle to play Division I soccer as a club player, as many Division I college coaches prefer to recruit from other places. The only Division I school to offer Bracken-Serra the opportunity to prove himself was the University of San Francisco. After excelling at an identification camp, then-USF head coach Leonard Griffin saw potential in Bracken-Serra, an underdog with a major chip on his shoulder.

Although he is one of the underclassmen on his college team, Bracken-Serra has been relishing his role as one of the elder statesmen this summer with 51O. “We have a good mix of players with lots of talent,” said Bracken-Serra.

“I try to help the younger guys and teach them what I’ve learned over the course of my career, even though I am young myself!” 

Developing in an organization with a professional first team has also been a highlight. “Summer was a time for me to improve individually, but at the same time, put myself in the most professional situation I possibly could,” Bracken-Serra explained. “With 51O, every training is planned out with great detail, and the coaches work really hard to make sure that we’re treated like professionals.”

In spite of regularly competing in high pressure environments against some of the best players in the country for USF and Project 51O, Bracken-Serra brings the same joy, freedom and focus that he plays with in the cages of Strawberry Creek Park. “In the cages, you enjoy yourself, and you are not worried about anything happening outside of the lines,” Bracken-Serra reflected. “You just are there to play.”

Project 51O secured the USL League Two Southwest Division crown in dramatic fashion Sunday night against Central Valley Fuego II, as 16 year-old Etsgar Cruz capitalized on a goalmouth scramble to tie the game at 2, and provide 51O with the point it needed to become champions. 51O entered the field of play knowing that a draw would see them capture the division title, after claiming the tiebreaker against second-place Ventura County Fusion earlier this month. Conditions at Fresno Pacific University were unfavorable to say the least, and the teams kicked off in 105 degree heat. 

Despite routinely rolling out some of the youngest lineups in the league, 51O’s commitment to development has not come at the expense of results: the team currently sits atop USL League Two’s Southwestern Division of the Western Conference.

“Winning is always the goal, but the results of the matches never change our identity, and what we are trying to accomplish on the pitch. The goal is to keep growing and keep developing player.”

Javier Ruiz Duran

Ruiz’s circuitous journey to Project 51O and the Bay Area began almost 19 years ago, across the Atlantic Ocean. Ruiz grew up in Sant Cugat del Vallès, a small town just north of Barcelona, where soccer is ingrained in the local culture. “I started to play when I was 5, for a team in my city, Sant Cugat,” Ruiz recalled. “We had a really good team, and we competed with FC Barcelona and Espanyol for the league title.” Despite finishing in third place that season, Ruiz’s cultured left foot drew the attention of both of Catalonia’s La Liga sides, and faced with the most important choice of his young career, he decided to entrust his development to one of soccer’s storied youth academies: La Masia, the talent factory that has produced some of the greatest players to ever step on the pitch.

For now, Ruiz’s primary focus is finishing the season strong with 51O, and making a run in the upcoming Western Conference playoffs. “Our goal for the rest of the season is to keep developing, keep working, and fight for a championship,” said Ruiz. “I am enjoying every minute of it.” 

After facing Central Valley Fuego II in Fresno on July 17th, Ruiz and Project 51O will embark on their pursuit of a USL League Two Championship in the playoffs starting the weekend of July 22-24.