 | |
| Full name | Fresno Football Club U-23 |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Foxes Los Zorros |
| Founded | 2003; 22 years ago (2003) (asFresno Fuego FC) |
| League | USL League Two |
| 2018 | 5th, Southwest Division Playoffs: DNQ |
| Website | http://www.fresnofc.com/ |
Fresno Football Club U-23, formerlyFresno Fuego FC, was an Americansoccer team based inFresno, California, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played inUSL League Two, the fourth tier of theAmerican Soccer Pyramid. The club drew an average home attendance of 3,951 in 2016, including league matches, divisional playoffs and exhibitions against professional clubs.
Fresno Fuego FC made their debut in PDL competition in 2003, having picked up the franchise rights in 2002 by then partners Jaime Marquez Sr., J. Francisco Alvarez, J. Antonio Alvarez & Jaime Marquez Jr. from the former PDL champions, theCentral Coast Roadrunners fromSan Luis Obispo. Playing on the campus ofSan Joaquin Memorial High School, Fresno made a blistering start to their first campaign, scoring eight goals in back-to-back wins overNevada Wonders,California Gold andOrange County Blue Star, with standout strikerOrlando Ramirez. Fresno's impressive early season form also saw them qualify for theUS Open Cup, where they made it all the way to the fourth round with victories overChico Rooks,Utah Blitzz andEl Paso Patriots, before they finally fell, 3–1, toLos Angeles Galaxy. Fresno's home form was superb during their first season, losing just one game – a 3–2 turnaround toCalifornia Gold – the entire year. Fuego's Latin American connection, led by Ramirez andFabricio Codeceira was influential and by the end of their debut year they were sitting proudly atop the Southwest table, ahead ofOrange County Blue Star on goal difference. The playoffs were a disappointment; after defeating Northwest championsSpokane Shadow, Fresno fell to Blue Star in the conference final.
2004 saw the Fuego move to a new home atFresno Pacific University, but the change did not affect their on-field performances, which included two 5–1 thrashings of theSan Diego Gauchos, and nine-goal haul over 2 games againstCalifornia Gold.Orlando Ramirez,Edgardo Contreras,Jose Luis Espindola andMilton Blanco continued their free-scoring exploits, and by the end of the 18-game season they finished just four points behind divisional champsOrange County Blue Star, and for the second year in a row made the playoffs. This time, however, Fuego took the conference title after wins overCascade Surge and Blue Star. However, progress on the national stage eluded them, a 3–0 defeat to central conference champsBoulder Rapids Reserve ending their dreams of the PDL title. Nevertheless, two straight trips to the playoffs was impressive for a 2-year franchise.
2005 saw expansion in the Southwest, and Fresno suffered a little. Despite opening strongly with 3 wins in their first 4 games, a mid-season slump saw them drop points against theSouthern California Seahorses,California Gold andBYU Cougars. As a result, the gap between them and the divisional leaders – Blue Star and Seahorses – was too great, and despite winning 5 of their last 6 games – and scoring 15 goals in the process – they eventually finished third in the table. VeteranEdgardo Contreras and new signingAmaury Nunes were the top marksmen, knocking in 8 goals each, while BrazilianFabricio Codeceira was a midfield dynamo, registering 7 assists for the season. Once again, Fresno's playoff campaign was a short one, falling toOrange County Blue Star in the first game.
2006 was more difficult still for Fuego. First of all, they found themselves without a permanent home stadium, and instead were forced to travel all over the city – toGolden West High School andCentral High School amongst others – in search of a pitch on which to play. Secondly, even more expansion in the division raised the level of competition considerably. Fresno stuttered inconsistently through their opening games, beatingSan Diego Gauchos 5–2, then losing, 4–0, toLos Angeles Storm, thrashing San Diego, 4–0, then losing, 4–1, to the expansionSan Francisco Seals.Fabricio Codeceira andAmaury Nunes remained potent in front of goal, netting 18 times between them, but their spotty form was their downfall, and by the end of the season head coachJaime Ramirez's men were a distant fifth behind league leadersOrange County Blue Star andSouthern California Seahorses.
2007 saw a huge change in fortunes for the Fuego. Before the season began the team signed a partnership with the AAA baseball franchise, theFresno Grizzlies, resulting in cross-promotion, publicity, and a new home:Chukchansi Park in the heart of downtown Fresno. Buoyed by fan support which reached 3,000 spectators at home games, Fuego were resurgent: impressive early-season wins over theSouthern California Seahorses and theSan Fernando Valley Quakes kept them in the hunt for the playoffs, and their impressive home form meant that, by the end of the year, they were one of the four teams battling for the two playoff spots. A final-day 3–1 victory over theSan Francisco Seals gave them the divisional title over theSan Fernando Valley Quakes on goal difference; prolific Brazilian strikerPablo Campos scored two of his 18 goals, and cemented his position as the league-leading goalscorer. The playoffs, which were hosted by Fresno at Chukchansi, saw them demolishTacoma Tide, 4–1, and then knock off Northwest champsBYU Cougars to take their second conference title; but once again their national challenge saw them fall at the first hurdle, losing, 1–0, to eventual PDL national championsLaredo Heat.
2008 was a year of continued growth for Fuego in business terms, unveiling a new logo, and building on their new 3,000-strong fan base and their relationship with theFresno Grizzlies atChukchansi Park. On-field, the team stuttered slightly in the opening month of the season, winning just one of their first three games, 2–1, away atSouthern California Seahorses. By mid-season, however, Fuego were burning up their opposition, with strikerPablo Campos continuing his free-scoring ways. He scored two in the 4–3 win overOrange County Blue Star, a hat trick in the 4–0 home win againstBakersfield Brigade, two more in the 4–1 demolition atLancaster Rattlers, and another hat trick in the 6–2 annihilation ofLos Angeles Legends in late June. By this time, Campos had been spotted by international scouts, and before the end of the month he was off toGAIS in Gothenburg, Sweden, to begin his professional career, leaving Fresno to find a replacement marksman. Campos's send-off was a disappointing one, with Fresno losing, 4–1, at home toVentura County Fusion in his farewell game, and it was almost as though Campos' impending departure was affecting Fuego. They suffered another 4–1 home loss in July, this time to theSan Fernando Valley Quakes, and by the time the season finale came down, Fuego's lead had been whittled away. The final regular season game, away atSan Fernando Valley Quakes, was a winner-take-all game for the divisional title. The Quakes won it, 2–1, to take the championship, but Fresno made it through to the post-season to host the Western Conference championship for the second year in succession. Their first-round game was a rematch against Northwest Conference championsTacoma Tide; however, without Campos's firepower, Fresno were toothless in attack, and eventually fell, 3–0. Despite leaving mid-season,Pablo Campos was still Fuego's top scorer with 14 goals, while the ever-dependableFabricio Codeceira contributed 13 assists.
Fresno suffered one of their worst seasons in several years in 2009. A general lack of firepower – the result of losingPablo Campos andAmaury Nunes to the professional ranks – and a frustrating tendency to inconsistency kept the Fuego on the back from their opening game, which they lost, 1–0, to divisional new boysHollywood United Hitmen. Fuego bounced back with a 3–0 win over theLos Angeles Legends, and playedLancaster Rattlers to an astonishing 5–5 tie at the end of May where they were 4–0 down at half time, fought back to lead, 5–4, only to concede a last minute equalizer. The season's high point was the 5–1 hammering ofOrange County Blue Star in June in whichSantiago Aguilera Navarro his a brace; the low point was the 7–1 annihilation they suffered at the hands of the Legends at home a week later. A middling run through the middle part of the season left Fuego playing catchup as July began, and despite winning three of their final five games – including a 3–0 victory over local rivalsBakersfield Brigade and a 3–1 final day victory over divisional champions Hollywood, they finished the season in fifth place, out of the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.Tyler Reinhart andPaul Islas were Fresno's top scorers, with 5 goals each.
2010 was a season of two halves for Fresno. The first half of the season was generally poor. They lost their opening game of the season, 3–0, to theHollywood United Hitmen, bounced back to beat theOgden Outlaws, 4–0, but then were annihilated, 7–2, byOrange County Blue Star.[1] The season's nadir came in the return game against Orange County in early June when the Fuego, 3–0 up after 52 minutes, fell apart and somehow managed to lose, 4–3, thanks to a hat trick from OC's strikerAmani Walker.[2] Things began to change in mid-June thanks to an impressive 4–1 away win over theLancaster Rattlers; following this victory, Fuego embarked on a marvellous 8-game unbeaten streak to the end of the season, comprising 6 wins and 2 ties.Milton Blanco scored a 90th-minute winner in a seesaw 4–3 victory over theSouthern California Seahorses[3] which saw three red cards. They came back from a 2–1 deficit to beatLos Angeles Azul Legends, 3–2, in early July, in a game which saw the Legends reduced to 8 men in the second half,[4] and wiped the floor with Lancaster on the final day of the regular season with a 7–0 victory in which second-half substituteGabriel Gonzalez hit a hat trick.[5] Unfortunately for Fresno their early season form proved to be their undoing, and despite rising from the bottom of the table, eventually finished fourth in the division, and out of the playoffs. Veteran Fuego midfielderFabricio Codeceira was the team's top performer, with 10 goals and 7 assists on the season.
In 2017, Fresno Fuego FC were acquired byFresno FC. Fresno Fuego FC were renamed Fresno FC U-23 on February 8, 2018. Also announced that day is the team will wear the colors of their parent clubFresno FC.[6]
On February 1, 2019 theFresno FC, parent of Fresno FC U-23 places the team on hiatus until the club has its own facility.[7]
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Milton Blanco
Pablo CamposMike ChabalaJose CuevasCody EllisonDevon GrousisRyan KennyPaul MoranAlberto NavarroAmaury NunesNathan Smith
Cyprian HedrickMarcus Cabello (Executive)| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Fuego | ||||||
| 2003 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Southwest | Conference Finals | 4th Round | — |
| 2004 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Southwest | National Semifinals | Did not qualify | — |
| 2005 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Southwest | Conference Semifinals | Did not qualify | 345 |
| 2006 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Southwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 1,147 |
| 2007 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Southwest | National Semifinals | Did not qualify | 3,068 |
| 2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Southwest | Conference Semifinals | Did not qualify | 3,384 |
| 2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Southwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2,597 |
| 2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Southwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2,443 |
| 2011 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Southwest | Conference Finals | Did not qualify | 4,357 |
| 2012 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Southwest | Did not qualify | 2nd Round | — |
| 2013 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Southwest | Conference Semifinals | Did not qualify | — |
| 2014 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Southwest | Did not qualify | 3rd Round | — |
| 2015 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Southwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3,912 |
| 2016 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, Central Pacific | Divisional Playoff | Did not qualify | 3,951 |
| 2017 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, Southwest | Conference Finals | 2nd Round | — |
| Fresno FC U-23 | ||||||
| 2018 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Southwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | — |
| 2019 | On Hiatus | |||||
Jaime Ramirez (2003–2006)Scott Alcorn (2007–2015)
Sean Lanigan (2016)Brian Zwaschka (2016–2017)
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| Miscellaneous | ||||||||||||
