Albuquerque Sol FC is an American
soccer club based in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Co-founded by Ron Patel and Larry Espinoza in 2013, the team plays in
USL League Two
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league sy ...
, the fourth tier of the
American soccer pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of pro ...
.
History
Inaugural season (2014)
On May 3, 2014, Albuquerque Sol F.C. opened its season on the road against the
Las Vegas Mobsters in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
. The Sol lost its first ever game 1–0. The following week, they traveled to
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The p ...
for a two-match series against the
Real Colorado Foxes
Real Colorado Foxes were an American soccer team based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Heartland Divi ...
. The first match resulted in a scoreless draw, but the second match featured the Sol's first ever goal (a tally from Ricardo Perez in the 60th minute) and first ever win, a 2–1 victory over the Foxes on Saturday, May 10. The Sol opened their home slate at Ben Rios Field on May 24, 2014 against the
Midland/Odessa Sockers, a 1–2 loss before a crowd of 1,318.
The 2014 edition of the Sol were competitive, obtaining a result in nine of their fourteen matches, but they were only able to secure 15 points and finished outside the USL PDL Mountain Division playoffs.
Early years (2015–2018)
On July 18, 2015, Albuquerque Sol F.C. played its first playoff game against