One of the youngest teams in Open Cup Qualifying, with all but one of the players under the age of 19, the Queensboro boys are striking fear in the hearts of more seasoned players as they navigate the pitfalls of amateur qualifying through the New York Metro Area. There the likes of former Open Cup champions the Greek Americans, and 2021 National Amateur Cup champions Lansdowne Yonkers, field far more experienced players – many of whom know all the tricks of the trade.
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“There’s a lot of talent in this team,” Jona insisted of his Queensboro side who’ll soon face UPSL mates and 2022 Open Cup participants Oyster Bay United in the Second Qualifying Round. “We know what we’re capable of, but, yes, we’re a very young team. And we’re playing against older people with a lot of experience. So we have to be ready for what’s in front of us.”
Four-Star Jona Show
Jona made a splash in his – and his club’s – Open Cup debut last month. His four-goal performance made sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he’d be a tightly marked man from there on out.
“In the moment, when it’s happening [scoring goals], you just feel it, that emotion, that eagerness,” said Jona after a lopsided 5-0 win over the Kearny Scots-Americans, one of the country’s oldest operating soccer clubs. “For me, l love it. I just love scoring goals. Once I get one, I want more. The feeling of it is something special to me and it’s what motivates me to keep going.
“I’m happy I was able to contribute to our team’s hope of moving on,” added Jona, who's targeting a run to the 2023 Open Cup proper, which requires four Qualifying wins against some of the best amateur sides in one of the country’s most competitive regions. “For the club this is huge because it’s a big step up, especially if we go far and meet some big teams. And then we can really show what we can do.”
Jona’s ambitious. And his scoring instincts are rare. Coach Diego Gomez, a former goalkeeper, sees it again and again in training.
“He [Jona] has the capacity to score goals and, more importantly, to do it consistently,” said the Queensboro II boss, a former youth player at both Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. “I have big hopes that he can perform like this at the professional level with us [when the first team is launched].”
“It’s about mindset and focusing on what’s ahead” said Queensboro’s ace in the making, a long way from home and hunting a big dream. “Only look forward.”
Fontela is editor-in-chief of usopencup.com. Follow him at @jonahfontela on Twitter.
