Douglas Costa joins forces with the deputy mayor for the summit, while soccer seems to have failed to reach the top in both countries. What will happen when such a combination meets?
At the end of September, the first Chinese-controlled Zeta Soccer Club was quietly born in Irvine, Calif.
After more than a year of mapping out youth training, the Chinese and American capitals joined hands to take a key step forward this year with the establishment of a professional soccer club. Starting from scratch, after three months of careful preparation and more than a month of preparatory work, Zeta Club fully completed its formation in November and is ready to go. It will embark on a new journey next spring.
The head of Zeta revealed, "Since June 2022, we have been building the team. The Chinese-controlled Zeta Club is now in the UPSL league in the United States, in the fourth division, which is equivalent to the domestic Chinese Champions League."
There are about 350 teams in the UPSL, and Southern California, where Zeta is based, has dozens. The league as a whole is growing by leaps and bounds, with a sizable number of new teams being added. This level of the league is slightly below the level of the Central Championships, but it brings together many uninvolved soccer players, youth ladders, and college players.
Highlights from the on-site tryouts
The team took three months to form and was officially established on September 25th, with tryouts successfully concluded on November 7th. The coaching team is led by a Serbian professional coach with a US Soccer Association Level B coaching certificate. He leads a team with five or six power players already confirmed to join.
Northwestern Lookout: What opportunities does this venture present in terms of setting up a soccer club overseas?
Head of Zeta: At first, we tried a youth training program in the United States. In more than a year, there are more than 200 registered members and about 150 regulars, of which the U6, U8 and U9 ladders of men's and women's soccer are all Chinese.
After a year of exploration, we are building a more complete soccer system, like a pyramid. Therefore, we have decided to take a step towards a professional club and set up Zeta Soccer Club. This not only provides a higher development space for the children involved in youth training, but also allows parents to see the future growth path of their children.
Northwest Lookout: As the first Chinese club in the U.S., why did you choose the U.S. over Europe for an alternative?
Head Zeta: First of all, I live here; secondly, there is a large Chinese population in the Irvine area of Southern California, with one-fifth of the approximately 310,000 population being Chinese citizens. Surrounding cities, such as north of Los Angeles, also have a large Chinese population. The club hopes to gather Chinese and build community through the bond of soccer. Thirdly, with the 2026 U.S.-Canada-Mexico World Cup, it is expected that more children will take up soccer in the next four years, which will benefit the club's growth.
NORTHWEST LOOKOUT: What are some of the differences between youth training and club operations in the U.S. compared to home?
Head of Zeta: We have not yet tried this type of program in China, so it is difficult to say. In the U.S., youth training is mainly handled by Chinese. Chinese American families are usually more willing to invest in sports, and children have fewer conflicts between their interests and hobbies. For example, learning soccer does not interfere with learning foreign languages, piano, or painting. In general, children in China are under more pressure to learn than children in the United States, but Chinese families in the Irvine area also face some competitive pressures.
Additionally, despite its small size, the city of Irvine has well-equipped parks and stadiums that are open to the public. Many parks and free stadiums near homes inspire kids to play soccer. There is also the GreatPark Sports Training Complex, which has 24 standard soccer fields and one professional soccer field, which is tight and difficult to book. There are also tennis courts, basketball courts and other facilities, just as the Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating champions train here.
On weekends, soccer becomes a recreational lifestyle that sustains family relationships. Many parents of white, Mexican, Asian families, Korean, Japanese, and other ethnicities take their families to expeditions and games. While watching the game, parents even prepare a grill in the backseat to enjoy a weekend of exercise.
