Secaucus FC History

The Beginning

Secaucus FC is a small club out of Secaucus, NJ that was founded in 2001 by Nick Farinola. The club was put together to play that summer in a small league called the MetroStars Supporters Soccer League which played its games at the Millridge Road Ball fields in Secaucus.

Secaucus FC participated with several local clubs in that tournament including Brownstone FC and Sportfriends SC. Included on Secaucus FC's roster were Giuseppe Landolfo, Chris Loughlin, Dan Farinola, Cosimo Landolfo, Nick Farinola, Iggy Urbina, Eddy Barahona, Mariano Pellegrino, Leandro Pellegrino, Iggy Castro, and several other local Secaucus players.

After 2001, the club went on hiatus until it was reborn in the summer of 2004. Farinola decided to bring back Secaucus FC and after holding two large tryouts, selecting twenty five players, securing permits for the Laurel Hill County Park Soccer fields, and landing a place in the B Northeast division of the Garden State Soccer League. Secaucus FC was back on track.

Entrance into the GSSL – Season 2004/2005

Members of the 2004 Secaucus FC roster included Giuseppe Landolfo, Chris Loughlin, Mike Mitolo, Pete Siafakas, Dan Farinola, Stefan Wegener, Iggy Castro, Javier Vargas, Fernando Valdes, Silver Mehmedovic, Roberto Guayaquil, Chris Mazzone, Mariano Pellegrino, Leandro Pellegrino, Danny Silva, Jorge Silva, Giuseppe DePinto, Jose Quintanilla, Greg Meyer, Seamus Daly, and Ryan Melcher.

Secaucus FC finished their first year of GSSL action in last place. The team had one win, three draws, and nine losses. SFC scored twenty-seven goals while conceding fifty four. Giuseppe Landolfo finished third in the division in scoring with seven goals. (Current Secaucus FC striker Eugene Gormley scored 6 that year for then club Cottage FC) Giuseppe DePinto finished the year with a respectable five goals. Scoring two goals each were Stefan Wegener, Roberto Guayaquil, Pete Siafakas, and Chris Loughlin. Chris Mazzone and Jose Quintanilla rounded out the scoring with one goal each.

Second Try at B Division Soccer – Season 2005/2006

After a pretty disappointing start to their GSSL adventure, Nick Farinola had a lot to think about. Knowing he had a pretty solid core and not willing to give up, pre-season started with a solid core back from the year before and new players trying out for the club. After several sessions and trials, the 2005/2006 roster ended up with players like Daniel Wachlaczenko and Klebber Gomez as goalies, Vlad Kirienko, Eddy Barahona, Adam Alfi, Joey Perez, Danilo Martins, and JP Van Hegans as defenders, Iggy Castro, Daniel Brown, Mike Mitolo, Raul Alvarez, and Timbo Newland in the midfield, and Giuseppe Landolfo, Giuseppe DePinto, and Mario Montoya as forwards.

Once again, Secaucus FC failed to produce the results. The second year GSSL side produced one win, two draws, and nine losses as they earned one less point than the previous year. Twenty goals were scored while forty one were conceded. SFC didn't fare too well in the scoring department that year as Adam Alfi and Danilo Martins led the team with three goals apiece. Timbo Newland, Giuseppe Landolfo, and Joey Perez added two goals apiece. Current Secaucus FC defender Fabian Segovia scored six that year for Bayonne United.

Three times and we're out – Season 2006/2007

Once again left to scratch their heads, Secaucus FC went into preseason after a second failed year. Most clubs would have folded at this point, but not SFC. Led by core players such as Giuseppe Landolfo, Mike Mitolo, Chris Loughlin, Daniel Brown, Eddy Barahona, and Adam Alfi, the club pressed on.

This time, as the core matured and there was less turnover between seasons, the team was able to start producing some results. The team ended that year in third place with twenty-four points. Secaucus FC had won eight games and lost five scoring thirty goals and conceding twenty in thirteen games. Once again, SFC's leading scorer was Giuseppe Landolfo with six goals scored. Adam Alfi finished second with five and Steve Wallis, scored four. Kamil Kawa scored two goals with Chris Loughlin, Iggy Castro, Rey Toalombo, Cosimo Landolfo, Manny Torres and Chris Lowther rounding out the scoring with a goal each.

Moving On Up – Season 2007/2008

After finishing third place in the B Northeast division, Secaucus FC was promoted to the A North Division of the GSSL. Once again, holding on to as many core players from the B division as they could, the team set out to battle teams at a new level of play. Corey Schor and Dave McCaffrey played in goal. Pascal Boillat, Reno Teixeira, Eddy Barahona, Manny Torres, Andrew Colineri, Eugene Gormley, Chris Loughlin, Mike Mitolo, Rey Toalombo, Adam Alfi, Jay Castaneda, Steve Wallis, Henry Sanchez, Anthony Gerbasio, Kamil Kawa, Alex Diaz, Bruno Teixeira, Stefan Wegener, and Javier Valenzuela rounded out the team.

In their first year playing at the A Division level, Secaucus FC was a hit. The team finished as champions with nine wins, one draw, and four losses. SFC scored forty goals while conceding twenty-eight in fourteen games. Giuseppe Landolfo led the team with eleven goals followed by Eugene Gormley with seven. Steve Wallis added three this year with Adam Alfi on his tail with two. Rey Toalombo, Kamil Kawa, Cosimo Landolfo, Stefan Wegener, Javier Valenzuela, Chris Loughlin, and Dave McCaffrey rounded out scoring with a goal each.

This would end Nick Farinola's four-year tenure as Secaucus FC manager.

Welcome back to Brown-town – Season 2008/2009

Returning to Secaucus FC as Nick Farinola's replacement as manager in the summer of 2008 was former standout player Daniel Brown. The GSSL SemiPro Division is a tough challenge and as a result, Daniel was brought in to re-invent Secaucus FC and ensure a solid season. The offseason has produced mixed results. After vanquishing much of Secaucus FC's core and replacing it with several new players, the pre-season fixtures were marred by poor results. Secaucus FC's first Semi-Pro game was a resounding success, however as the team managed a draw against a dominant Sport Club Portuguese B side away from home. This year has been one of the most eventful seasons in Secaucus FC history with the rest of the story being written as we speak…