Chargers Soccer Club announces new Director of Lakewood Ranch - Juan De Brigard

Date – April 6, 2024

The Chargers Soccer Club is excited to announce Juan De Brigard as the...

Last week Chargers Coach Ryan Seidl and Chargers UPSL captain Jesus Montes Herrera traveled to El Salvador to participate in the AVOCA program soccer camp in it’s 16th year, with over 800 children and 9 communities participating throughout the week.

“The Avoca project was such a beautiful experience. It was such a wonderful blessing knowing one week from the year can change someone’s life.” - Quote from Jesus Montes Herrera 

The AVOCA program (A Voice Of Central America) just completed its 16th year of soccer camps in El Salvador. The project which started with three communities has now grown to include 9 communities throughout Soyapango. The first two days are focused on coaching education of the El Salvadoran coaches to give them exercises, training sessions, and ideas for them to take back into their communities. Throughout the week, the camp included over 800 children. On Thursday, the camp concluded with a tournament including all the communities coming together. This was Ryan's 4th time participating in the project, and joining me this year was Jesus Montes Herrera, who is currently our UPSL captain. 

Clearwater 2007 & 2008 girls in Italy

A group of our Clearwater Charger Girls comprised of 07's and 08's had a 10-day trip to experience the Italian Soccer Culture. Through the club's good friend Bruno Redolfi at the Italian Soccer School AIC, these girls participated in daily trainings, friendly games, and attended a professional Serie A Match. The group and club are excited for this amazing opportunity for our players. 

If you would like to see the Italian Soccer School, click the link to their Facebook page. You will see some photos of our players there. https://www.facebook.com/share/4GD543xhW9HRqHEE/?mibextid=qi2Omg

One of our Chargers players is currently over in Italy enrolled in the full year training and education program. The player is Francesco Saviano from the Lakewood Ranch campus.

Nathan Harriel is a Chargers USDA alumni player. Harriel has been called up to the U23 Olympic Team. 

October international window: Which MLS players were called up? | MLSSoccer.com

YOUTH EXPERIENCE

Harriel spent 3 years (2015-2018) with Chargers Soccer Club based out of Clearwater, FL. He played with the U-13/14, U-15/16, and U-16/17 squads. He made 92 appearances, 71 starts, and scored 21 goals in his time with the club. After his move to Philadelphia Union Academy in 2018, he made 13 appearances for the U-18/19 squad, starting 12 of those games and scoring one goal.

ACQUIRED: Philadelphia Union signed defender Nathan Harriel as a Homegrown Player on July 17, 2020, that became effective January 1, 2021.

Nathan Harriel | MLSsoccer.com

Argentine Folk Musician is a Chargers fan

On my recent trip to Argentina, I caught up with my Friend Mario “Musha” Carabajal.
He is a member of the Carabajal musical family, they are a very famous family, all great
musicians. “Musha” is the forefront Member of Los Carabajal, sort of like a Johnny Cash here. They fill
stadiums and theaters. He is also a Soccer enthusiast and is very well connected with The Argentine
Soccer community, so I gave him a Chargers Polo Shirt.

There’s an event in his home town of La Banda, which is called “La Fiesta de La Abuela”, (Grandmother’s Party) that started many years ago in his mother’s house. It was attended by a small group of family Members and Musicians. Over the years it grew and now brings over 60,000 people from all over Argentina and other neighboring countries.

This year, he opened The Festival by going on stage wearing the Chargers Polo that I gave him. I
was pleasantly surprised, he put Chargers on the map in Argentina.

-Roberto

Former Charger player who played for the club for 14 yrs & suffered thru 2 bouts of cancer has written a book regarding his life story of surviving cancer with the help of St Jude Hospital in Memphis. The book is sponsored by the Make A Wish foundation. Congratulations to Tyler for having the courage to pen his yrs of trials & tribulations & for becoming the better man he is today!