Whereas Poland and his Chicago House AC side had a concrete us-against-the-world, blue collar ethos to lean on when they went hunting their Cupsets, FC Naples are building something from scratch. And Poland, a coach as honest and open about the challenges as he is effusive about the positives, seems to be hitting the right notes when it comes to building an identity.
He uses the words suffer and culture a lot. They’re guiding principles for him.
“We’re a first-year team, so everything is a first,” he said of running a team in Naples, a popular destination for northern Snowbirds without the set and defined cultural touchstones of, say, a City like Chicago with a miles-deep sporting culture. “And building a culture sounds easy to some people, but really the process takes a lot more time and effort than most people think.”
Building Results & Community in Naples
FC Naples and the larger Naples community are both growing at the same time and in the same direction. “At this lower professional level, it’s not just about having the best soccer team in the standings, it’s about growing together as a community and developing an identity and something we can all be a part of and share in,” Poland said about bringing pro soccer to this part of the world he calls home – and where got his start in the game.
There’s a lot Poland and his team can’t control when it comes to the larger forces, but on the field and in the locker room is where the work of building can really take root. With a chance to knock off a USL Championship power in the Third Round of the Open Cup – and in so doing, book a date with a club from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Round of 32 – he has an Open Cup Dream worth entertaining.
“Everything isn’t going to be perfect. On the field, off the field, we’re figuring it all out as we go,” said Poland, in the kind of statement that wouldn’t be out of place with his former amateur outfit from Chicago. “Travel delays, three-hour bus rides, trouble with hotel rooms, whatever – you’re going to suffer. What’s important is that we suffer together.
“How do we do in those times, on the field and off, when we suffer together? Poland asked, rhetorically with an eager edge to his voice. “Going through things together is what makes you grow as a team. You have to make sure you get that right. That’s how you build and how you can really become something.”
Fontela is editor-in-chief of ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Follow him at @jonahfontela on X/Twitter.
