FC Baltimore Christos set to return to play in Mid-Atlantic NISA Independent Cup

Baltimore’s semiprofessional outdoor soccer team will return to play late this month when it participates in the Mid-Atlantic National Independent Soccer Association Independent Cup.

FC Baltimore Christos finished each of its first two seasons in the Mid-Atlantic Conference of the National Premier Soccer League in first place. The coronavirus pandemic forced the league to scrap this season, but , the NISA event will give the club a chance to compete.

“It is our first opportunity to get out on the field after the coronavirus,” Christos general manager Alex Lubyansky said. “The way that it will work is that we will not have any fans — it’s a closed-door tournament. However, it’s going to be livestreamed and I’m anticipating high viewership. It’s a great opportunity to get our sponsors exposure via the livestream and all of the marketing vehicles that NISA puts out there.”

Three other Mid-Atlantic teams — the New York Cosmos, New Amsterdam FC and Montgomery County’s Maryland Bobcats FC — are set to participate. Games will take place at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown and be played Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays starting July 28 and ending Aug. 2.

Being in the same region as the Cosmos gives FC Baltimore Christos a chance to redeem themselves for losing to the New York team in the Northeast regional final of the 2019 NPSL national tournament.

“It’s going to be really cool to have a rematch against the New York Cosmos from last year. It’s a very storied franchise, so we’re excited to play them,” Lubyansky said.

FC Baltimore Christos’ roster is older than normal this season because of the coronavirus-related uncertainty surrounding NCAA programs.

“There’s a lot of guys that want to play — usually, we’re basically a college team,” said coach Larry Sancomb, who has had to craft his team in a hurry. “But with all of this stuff going on and the college guys not knowing where they’re going to play yet and if the conferences are going to play ... we’re just waiting to hear.”

Christos’ biggest concern between now and the tournament will be making sure its personnel is healthy.

Positive coronavirus tests in other leagues have kept teams off the field. The Orlando Pride were forced to withdraw from the NWSL Challenge Cup after six players and four staff members were found to have the virus. Major League Soccer postponed a match between Toronto FC and D.C. United shortly before it was scheduled to begin Sunday morning because of one unconfirmed positive test and one inconclusive test for COVID-19. But the English Premier League tested 2,250 players from June 22 to June 28 with only one person coming up positive.

To get ahead of the curve, NISA will test players, coaches and staff involved in the cup weeks prior and multiple times in all.

“We’re definitely paying attention to what is going on in Europe and other pro leagues in North America,” Lubyansky said. “It looks like the model of progressively testing all of the players and not allowing fans, but still putting on games that are aired either on television or over the internet. It’s a very good way to allow leagues to resume play.

“So, we’ve certainly been paying attention to all of that and we feel that we’re also handling it responsibly. It’s a great way to offer something that it’s a unique time in history that it’s difficult to put on a sporting event, but that is the time that we’re living in.”

Considering the pandemic and the heat of summer, players’ fitness will also be a concern. Lubyansky is aware of that from his own experience on the sideline.

“Coaching was something that I hadn’t done in a number of months because of coronavirus and it’s physically hard to get back to standard to perform, even as a coach,” Lubyansky said.

The key is for players to be able to get back into training by easing them into sprinting drills and a number of movements involving change of direction and pace, he said. Players will be ramped up into shape the same way they are while rehabilitating from injuries. Game-day rosters will be set at 18, and substitutions will be unlimited.

Preparing for the tournament has been made especially difficult because of a lack of available facilities.

To build the players’ fitness of the scrimmages starting on Wednesday at Blandair Park in Columbia. The lack of practice isn’t too different for the players who also play with Christos FC, a team that plays in the Maryland Major Soccer League, an affiliated league of United States Adult Soccer Association.

“It’s difficult on that end, but you know the Christos [FC] guys do that all of the time,” Sancomb joked. “They don’t practice at all, so they’re kind of used to it, but the younger guys need to get out there and touch the ball. That’s where we’re at right now.”

FC Baltimore Christos roster

Tunde Akinlosotu (George Mason University/McDonogh High)

Cody Albrecht (University of Maryland/DeMatha High)

Khalid Balogun (St. Mary’s College/Bowie High)

Danny Baxter (York College/Calvert Hall)

Nico Brown (Loyola University/McDonogh High)

Matt Brummell

Jayson Cyrus (Northwestern University/Bishop McDonough)

Jacob Denison (Loyola University/Bullis School)

Anthony Dragisics (Villanova University/Archbishop Curley)

Kaoru Forbess (University of Maryland/Naaman Forest)

Brian Graham

David Harris (UMBC/Reservoir High)

Malcolm Harris (UMBC/McDonogh)

Matt Ledder (Georgetown University/Gonzaga)

Alex Lee (University of Maryland/Magruder High)

Justin Lee (Penn State University/Magruder High)

Nate Lee

Davey Mason (Loyola University/Walt Whitman High)

Jamie Merriam (West Virginia University/Magruder High)

Chris Panian (Stevenson University/John Carroll)

Tre Pulliam (UMBC/Archbishop Curley)

Eddy Rodriguez (Loyola University/West York High)

Kyle Saunderson (UMBC/Reservoir High)

Michael Scott (UMBC)

Joseph Sefoi (Lincoln Memorial University)

Jake Steinberg

Ben Stitz (University of Pennsylvania/Archbishop Curley)

Chase Vosvick (Loyola University/Montverde Academy)

Colin Weyant (UMBC/Perry Hall High)

Brayden Wise (Lycoming College/Archbishop Curley)

Mike Zierhoffer