When the New Orleans DFC soccer club began three years ago, just 12 players were rostered and it was understood that the building process would take time.
Just three years later, the team has arrived. And speaking of arriving, a U17 girls squad with 11 St. Charles Parish players amongst its ranks will do so in Wichita, Kansas next week to challenge some of the nation’s best at the National President’s Cup tournament July 7-11.
DFC U17 won the Louisiana President’s Cup, dominating the championship game by a 13-1 score. That qualified the team for the regional President’s Cup tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, where the team won five matches in five days to capture the regional championship.
Of the 18 teams from Louisiana to reach the regional tournament, including boys and girls teams ranging from U13 to U19, only New Orleans DFC’s U17 girls reached its championship game and it will be the lone team representing Louisiana at the national tournament.
Addison Agnelly, Adelyn Bersuder, Ashlyn DeSoto, Riley Folse, Lilly Hooper, Taylor Madere, Gabby Touchard, Tatiana Brown, Brooke Ledet, Mia Ganote and Haley Bergeron represent St. Charles Parish on the team, as does head coach Edgar Fuentes, who guides the Hahnville High girls soccer program as its head coach.
“If I told myself three years ago that I’d be talking about us going to the national tournament right now … I’d be lying if I said I was that optimistic,” Fuentes said. “There’s a big sense of satisfaction. In the state tournament, you had several of the biggest clubs in the area with strong legacies, clubs that are always in these tournaments and play these big matches. And here, New Orleans DFC, this little club’s going to the regional championship, we’re going undefeated there and we’re going to represent not just Louisiana, but the entire southeast region at nationals.”
Fuentes said when the team was formed originally, the message to the players was that this would be a process and not necessarily a fast one.
“We might progress slowly, but we’re going to do things right,” Fuentes said. “We’re going to teach you the game the right way and we’re not just going to take advantage of your athleticism, but get you to where we’re able to play against and compete with the big clubs the right way.”
Fast forward to today, and Fuentes is overseeing a talented roster of versatile players. The coach believes in teaching players to have a complete game and thus be able to attack the competition in different ways – that allows the team to shift its gameplan to best attack a specific foe, and that lends to the chance to have big playoff and tournament success.
“I’ve always told people, we thrive on developing creative players,” Fuentes said. “We’re able to attack from different angles at different positions. It’s not just our strikers making runs and finishing chances, but our wing backs making runs and finishing chances and our center-mids doing the same. That just makes us much more dangerous. When other teams make mistakes, we make them pay. When we have a chance in front of the goal, we make them pay.”
He said beyond the on-field talent, this is a special group off the field.
“Their chemistry and camaraderie, the way they’re there for each other, it just all came together,” he said.
The club allowed just three goals total at the regional tournament over five games.
“The finals came down to who wanted it most, and the girls took it home,” Fuentes said.
The girls have had some time to enjoy the win before getting back to work. The competition will be intense, not just against the other teams but against one of the toughest foes around: the intense heat.
“I don’t know if you know the weather in Wichita, but it’s 100-plus degrees. It’s hot. We’re going to train and get used to the heat, and it takes a lot to get used to that weather. It’ll be one day at a time, one training session at a time. We’ll be ready.”
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