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| Full name | Irvine Zeta Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Zeta, IZFC | ||
| Founded | 2022 | ||
| Stadium | Championship Soccer Stadium Irvine,California | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 | ||
| Owner | Alex Filipovic | ||
| League | United Premier Soccer League National Independent Soccer Association | ||
| Website | https://www.zetafc.com/ | ||
Irvine Zeta FC (known asIrvine Zeta FC,IZFC, andIrvine Zeta) is a professional soccer team based inIrvine, California. The club is established and financially backed by Chinese investors, the first Chinese-founded professional soccer team in the United States. It is the inaugural professionalfootball club bearing the name of the city ofIrvine. The club fields a senior team in theNational Independent Soccer Association, as well as teams inNISA Nation, theUPSL, and youth leagues..
Zeta FC was established in September 2022 inIrvine, California by Cary Lyu. The club began play in theUnited Premier Soccer League in 2023, reaching the2023 UPSL Spring League Division 1 Tier playoffs.
On March 16, 2023, Zeta FC submitted the application to join theNational Independent Soccer Association for the2024 season.[1] On May 22, Zeta FC receivedNISA's approval.[2]
Irvine Zeta FC made their U.S. Open Cup debut on March 20, 2024, defeating SC MesoAmerica, winners of the2023 National Amateur Cup, 1-0. The team would go on to defeatVentura County FC in the second round,[3] 3-0, before falling toMonterey Bay FC in the third round.[4]
Irvine Zeta FC kicked off its first professional season in April 2024. Irvine finished the 2024 season with a record of 11 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses, second-best in the West Conference. Zeta FC defeated theMichigan Stars FC in the semifinal, 3-0 to advance to their first NISA Championship Game.[5] The game ended 1-1, with Irvine losing toLos Angeles Force 3-2 in penalty kicks.[6]
Irvine Zeta's crest prominently features a lower-case orangezeta, with "IRVINE" across the top, and a stylized soccer ball and "FC" on the right side. The team's colors are two different shades of blue, with orange and white as accent colors.
Zeta FC shares theChampionship Soccer Stadium with other teams in Irvine. The stadium is part of the Great Park Sports Complex inOrange County, California. Built in 2017, the stadium has an overall capacity of 5,000, combines with sports infrastructures such as training fields, a box office, concession areas, etc.[7]
| NO. | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitch North | GK |
| 12 | Matthew Escareno | GK |
| 30 | Jake Hansen | GK |
| 45 | Braeden Hatt | GK |
| 4 | Aaron Keita | CB |
| 2 | Greg Stratton | CB |
| 10 | Edson Alvarado | CM |
| 27 | Miguel Pena | LB |
| 13 | Israel Espinoza | CB |
| 33 | Alex Culwell | CB |
| 6 | Andrew Kleszewski | CM |
| 27 | Edgardo Artero | MF |
| 14 | Danny Moreno | CM |
| 3 | Joey Ciochetto | CM |
| 8 | Jonathan Estrada | CM |
| 11 | Shinya Kadono | FW |
| 9 | Christian Fernandes Fecula | FW |
| 18 | Marcel Salceda | FW |
| 19 | George Almeida | FW |
| Role | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Cary Lyu |
| General Manager | Leo Furquim |
| Marketing Manager | Oscar Yu |
| PR Manager | Monica Lin |
| Academy Director | Platini Soaf |
| Administration | Dekel Keinan |
| Year | League | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023 UPSL Spring League Division 1 Tier | Champions |
| 2023 | 2023 Del Real Foods SoCal Regional Cup | Champions |
| Baseball |    | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Roller derby | ||
| College athletics | ||
| Defunct/Relocated | ||
| Venues |
| |
1Only played occasional games in Orange County | ||
