Corpus Christi, Texas- April 30, 2020
Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, Corpus Christi FC has come to the decision to not participate in the upcoming USL League Two regular season. Ultimately, as a community club, we prioritized the health and safety of all our athletes, staff, and amazing fans.
“We want to thank our fans for their patience as we have worked with the league, fellow clubs, our local community, and our stakeholders to understand the implications of this global pandemic and the ramifications on the 2020 season. Ultimately, it is clear we must act in the best interest of everyone involved at the club, including our incoming players, staff, supporters and sponsors,” said CCFC President Dr Kingsley Okonkwo
CCFC was coming off a historic year in 2019 where the club placed second in the Mid-South Division and rose to national prominence due to its aggressive attacking style of play. In only its second year of existence, CCFC qualified for the prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to compete against clubs from all over the United States including MLS and USL Championship franchises. In addition, the club set many records on the field in 2019 including Ollie Wright’s historic season where he claimed sole possession of the all-time single season USL League Two record with 15 assists in 14 games. In line with our club objectives, CCFC has also sent 8 athletes to full professional contracts in the last two years.
“This is obviously a very difficult time for our society. For our club, this was the only logical decision and one that is fully supported by the staff and athletes. Coming off of 2019, we were focused on bringing a championship to Corpus Christi and we were confident that the athletes coming in were going to make it happen. Not having the chance to bring home a trophy to our fans in 2020 is something that will stay with us for the rest of our soccer careers,” stated Head Coach Dr. Sebastian Giraldo.
Corpus Christi FC will turn its attention to preparation to the 2021 season. “I know in a very short time, we built something special both on and off the field. The results of the club speak for themselves but the interaction with the fans and community has changed all of us that have been a part of CCFC and the culture of success will continue and grow,” added Head Coach Giraldo.
“The momentum our clubs have built in League Two across the country in recent years has been tremendous, and today’s announcement – while disappointing – will do nothing to alter that,” said USL League Two Vice President Joel Nash. “We will continue to support soccer being played when and where possible in 2020 and use this time to get even stronger as a league and look forward to returning to competitive action better than ever before in 2021.”
Corpus Christi FC remains committed to promoting and developing the beautiful game in our region as they explore the possibility of joining the full professional ranks in the USL league One in 2021/2022 season.
Stella Williams