Akron City Football Club is an American soccer club based in Akron, Ohio, United States.
Founded in 2021, the men's team plays in USL League Two, a pre-professional league that is part of the United Soccer League system. The team originally played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national semi-pro league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Conference of the Midwest Region. The team plays its home games at Green Street Stadium on the campus of St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron. The team's colors are sky blue, red and white.
History Club History The club was launched on September 16, 2021, when seasoned sports business executive, Nick Turchan, fronted an ownership group to bring minor league soccer to Akron. While previous efforts by other ownership groups to establish a sustainable soccer club in the city had been unsuccessful, Turchan oversaw the formation of Akron City FC with a focus on long-term stability and community integration. The club was established with the goal of building a durable organization that would become a permanent part of Akron’s sports landscape.
Akron City FC joined the NPSL as an expansion franchise in 2021 and took part in its first competitive season in 2022. Kia Zolgharnain was named as the technical director and was responsible for player acquisition for the new team. Akron City played their first NPSL game on May 14, 2022. In front of 1,051 fans, the team secured a 2–1 victory over Pittsburgh Hotspurs.
The team would not win again until its final game on July 15, 2022 against the Erie Commodores. Kia stepped down as head coach after three games for medical reasons and assistant coach Jay Stepp assumed head coaching duties for the reaming of the season. Cedric Tschami was elevated to top assistant. Despite the team's final record, four of their losses were by one goal and they played to four draws. One of those draws was against eventual Rust Belt champion and Midwest Region finalist Cleveland SC, avenging their two worst losses of the season. In that game, Akron City FC scored early and held a 1-0 lead for over 70 minutes before conceding the equalizer in the 86th minute.
Despite the results on the field, the 2022 season was a great building block for the future. The team drew over 1,000 fans twice and averaged 625 fans for the season, well above league averages. The team secured 19 sponsorships, proving the business community was on board with the cities newest sports asset.
In December 2024, Akron announced it was joining USL League Two for the 2025 season.
Akron City FC completed its inaugural USL League Two season with a record of 5 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses, finishing third in its division. Despite competing against more established clubs, the team posted a strong overall performance and remained in contention throughout the season, widely viewed as a successful debut campaign at the USL League Two level. The club also set a single-match attendance record, drawing more than 1,700 fans for a home match against Cleveland Force SC, reflecting growing community support and increased interest following the move to USL League Two.
Club colors and crest
Sponsorship +PeriodKit manufacturerShirt SponsorSleeve SponsorOther Kit Sponsors 2022UN1TUSHoppin' Frog BrewerySpringside Athletic Club Circle K, Cleveland Clinic Akron General 2023Circle KCleveland Clinic Akron General, Sgt. Clean Car Wash, TL Worldwide Transportation 2024ARRIVO (formerly Un1tus)Uncle Tito's Mexican GrillHoppin' Frog Brewery, Sgt. Clean Car Wash, Days of Gifts, Lyndall Insurance, Ohio Euro Motorcars, Sports Alliance of Greater Akron 2025Hoppin' Frog Brewery, Akron Indoor Soccer, Lyndall Insurance, Days of Gifts, Ohio Euro Motors
Players and staff Current roster
Year-by-year Season League PlayoffsOpen CupTop Goalscorer(s)DivLeagueConferencePldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGPositionName(s)Goals20224 NPSL122641023 -13100.835thDNQDNE Jaden Wright52023123811520 -5100.836thDNQDNE Jaden Wright32024108204310 +33242.40 2ndDNE Stefan Dobrijevic122025USL2Great Forest Division125251911 +8201.67 3rdDNQDNE Stefan Dobrijevic42026Great Forest Division126242318 +5201.674thDNQ3rd Qualifying Round
Managerial history CoachYearsLeague W-L-DPlayoffsKia Zolgharnain/Jay Stepp Andy Hoggarth
Neso Ivanis2022–2022 2023–2026
2026-Present2–6–4 17-13-60-0-0 1-1Total
Stadium Green Street Stadium, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School;Akron, Ohio (2022–present)
References
External links