WICHITA, Kan. – International Wichita FC is heading full force into the 2023 Spring UPSL campaign. After finishing third in the Midwest South Conference, International is looking to build on that success in 2023. The club held open tryouts Saturday February 18th at Stryker Sport Complex. All participating players were not previous rostered for International’s 2022 Spring UPSL campaign.
Returning Coach Lewis Derrett said, “I saw a positive improvement from last year’s tryouts. Not only did we have a bigger turnout of 70 players, but the overall median level of ability was also much higher. I was impressed with the guy’s perseverance through the tough weather we experienced. I spoke to a few players after the tryout who said they enjoyed it and felt like it was a positive experience. It was also great to see players from last year’s squad there and helping.”
With preparation under way, International Wichita FC are back in the UPSL’s Midwest South Conference with some new and familiar faces. Here is a breakdown of Conference.
Dodge City Toros
Last year was the Dodge City first year in the UPSL and made a huge splash. Dodge City finished top of the Midwest South Conference and after defeating Des Moines United in the conference championship went on to the UPSL National Championship Tournament and made it all the way to the Semi-Final.
Derrett said, “For me, Dodge City was the most talented team last year. Very clearly well coached and organized. I was impressed with their front three. It was no surprise to me that they went far in Nationals. I look forward to our games this year as I know it will be a great match up.”
International Wichita FC was victorious in their first meeting in Dodge City at the beginning of the 2022 season and shared points with a tie when the clubs met in Wichita for the second game. International was the only club last season not to lose against Dodge City.
Sporting Wichita
Sporting Wichita returns for their third season in the UPSL Midwest South conference. International Wichita FC has enjoyed their rivalry with Sporting for the past two years coining it the Wichita Derby. So far Sporting has dominated the Derby with 3 wins and 1 tie between the clubs. International is looking change this trend in the 2023 campaign.
Darrett said, “Another talented team in our conference. A team I have circled on my calendar after dropping all 6 points last year against them. I am interested in what the makeup of their team will look like this year as I know they brought some players in from overseas last season.”
SF Wanderers
SF Wanderers are back for their second season the UPSL Midwest South division. International took all 6 points when the two teams met in 2022. As one of the teams representing Kansas City in the conference look for SF Wanderers to take a step forward as club playing and recruiting their players from the largest market in the conference.
Derrett Said, “I believe the team has a make-up of different players in terms of their career, some in college, some out of college and some who were still in high school. Their young players I thought were very good. I think those guys will grow and get better with more time and experience.”
FC Wichita
A local face in the Wichita soccer scene is throwing their hat in the UPSL Midwest South Conference this year. FC Wichita has added their second team to US soccer’s 4th division. FC Wichita already has a team in USL 2 and are looking to expand opportunity for local players to play semi-pro soccer.
International’s CFO and Co-Team Manager Mitchel Diemer says, “We welcome FC Wichita to the UPSL and we are excited for another local rival to produce great soccer for the City of Wichita. We look forward to adding a third team to the Wichita Derby series.”
Missouri Park FC
New to the UPSL this season, Missouri Park FC played in the KCKSAL Division 1 last season making the leagues quarter final. Along with Santa Fe Wonders, Missouri Park FC with be the second club based out of the Kansas City area this season.
With the conference set, each team will play twice with the top four teams meeting in the conference playoffs with the conference champion moving on to the UPSL National Championship Tournament.
Diemer said, “We are confident in our third season in the UPSL to be one of those four teams competing for the Midwest South Conference title and representing Wichita in the UPSL National Championship Tournament.”
Next for International Wichita FC is final roster selection and signing day. Stay tune to see who is returning from last season and who are the new faces representing the club this year.
