GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Ever since the team's inception, Grand Rapids FC has continued to succeed from averaging more than 5 thousand fans at home games in their first year to winning the Great Lakes West Championship this season, their first as part of the National Premier Soccer League.
"It means the world," says goalie Noah Fazekas. "We come out here every day in the heat, rain, cold, whatever it is and just work our butts off and hopefully we keep doing it and it keeps paying off and we keep going further and win in the playoffs"
That's the next goal. GRFC clinched the top seed in the NPSL Midwest playoffs and will play the two seed out of the Great Lakes East, Indy Eleven, in a semifinal match on Friday.
"The atmosphere is going to be even more intense," said Fazekas. "We just gotta keep our heads and play our system and get the job done."
While the level of play steps up another notch in the playoffs, the boys in blue have a significant advantage this weekend with the semifinal and a possible final match on Saturday both at their home, Houseman Field, a place the team has yet to lose at this season.
"It speaks volumes about the comfort we have at home and we need to give credit to all our fans," says coach George Moni. "Their energy has been inspirational to our players and has pushed them to achieve more."
"I think that all of the players on out team don't take full credit for the results that we've gotten at home.," said midfielder Lito Esquivel. "It has a lot do do with our fans and a lot to do with our community coming out and supporting us and that just makes me personally play at a harder level when I've got my Grand Army behind me supporting me."
