UPSL National Semifinals Preview – Olympians FC (Phoenix, AZ) vs. Rush ACM3 (El Paso, TX)
This weekend, the UPSL National Finals are set to take place with the four of the best semi-professional sides from across the US, travelling to Southern California to determine who is the UPSL Fall 2022 National Champion.
On Friday evening, Arizona’s top team Olympians FC will face Rush ACM3 from Texas to determine who advances to the national championship game.
After finishing first in the Arizona Premier Conference, Olympians FC (9-1-0) stand as one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the UPSL. The team from Phoenix, Arizona will be full of confidence heading into the National Finals after finishing a Fall regular season in which they didn’t lose any matches. The team is currently on a winning streak in their last five playoff games and were able to defeat top teams Deportivo Rose City and LA Galaxy Academy in their last two matches.
Olympians Forward Dawoda Sesay, who is the National Playoffs leading goal scorer with 9 goals in his last 5 games, spoke about what the upcoming semifinal means to his team.
“The entire team is in high spirits and focused on what the coach is preparing us for tactically. We’re ready for this stage of the competition. Our coach told us to enjoy the moment and take every game at a time. Making it to the National Finals was our target all season long and now we’re here, and we want to win this for all of our fans back in Phoenix.”
Making their UPSL debut this season, Rush ACM3 (4-2-2) finished third in the West Texas – New Mexico Conference. However, they have gone on an incredible playoff run by scoring nine goals in their last three games. Center-forward Matthew Alvarado currently has 13 goals this season and has scored four goals in the past three games alone. Alvarado explained his team’s mentality heading into the upcoming game.
“It’s a dream come true for our team to make it this far because first of all no one counted on us being here especially since it’s our first year in the league. We are on an incredible run right now and I pray we win it all. I expect the other teams to come out strong because these last four teams all have the same goal, which is to become National Champion. The way we’ve played this season comes down to not only our teammates supporting each other, but also because the community embraces us, and the city supports us. They motivate us and we want to win it for them.”
After Friday’s semifinal matches, the finalists will be determined for an epic national championship game that will decide the best semi-pro team in the nation.
All UPSL National Finals matches will be broadcast live on the VYRE Network. You can find VYRE on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Android, iPhone, or your Smart TV by downloading the VYRE Network app for free or on their website at www.vyre.tv.
National Semi-Finals – Friday, Feb. 3rd
SCU Heat (home) v Santa Cruz FC – 8:30 PM(EST) / 5:30 PM(PST)
Olympians FC (home) vs Rush ACM3 – 11:30PM (EST) / 8:30 PM(PST)
About United Premier Soccer League
The UPSL was formed in 2011 and occupies the unofficial fourth tier of US Soccer. Across its Premier, Division 1 and Womens leagues there are more than 400 teams competing nationwide. The UPSL is now the largest Pro Development League in North America and is a National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with USSF.
More information about UPSL can be found at www.staging.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).
Contact UPSL: [email protected] / Media: [email protected]