NO SECRET THAT THE MOST POPULAR SPORT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS SOCCER OR FOOTBALL, AND THAT
SPORT IS NOW BRINGING TOGETHER A
COMMUNITY IN DETROIT, A BRAND
NEW FOOTBALL CLUB HAS JUST
OPENED ITS FIRST SEASON THIS
YEAR. AND THE REACH IT HAS IN
OUR CITY IS EXPECTED TO GROW.
AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST MITCH
ALBUM SHOWS US WHAT ALLEANZA FC
IS DOING IN THE HEART OF
DETROIT. THE WORLD. SOCCER IS
LIFE IN SOUTHWEST DETROIT,
THANKS TO TIM RITCHIE, TALENTED
COMMUNITY NOW HAS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL. I
SPENT A LOT OF TIME BUILDING A
SACHER PROGRAM IN DETROIT AND I
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
AMAZING PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY IN
PARTICULAR DOWN IN SOUTHWEST
DETROIT. AMAZING TALENT, REALLY
GREAT PEOPLE, AND I JUST ALWAYS
THOUGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE
MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS THAT
REALLY HIGHLIGHT THEIR PASSION
FOR THE GAME. DREAM BECAME A
REALITY IN THE SPRING OF 2022
WHEN ALLEANZA FOOTBALL CLUB
PLAYED ITS FIRST SEASON. THIS
GRASSROOTS CLUB CALLED THE
CORNER BALLPARK HOME AND AS PART
OF THE UNITED PREMIER SOCCER
LEAGUE AND AFFILIATION THAT IS
OPENED DOORS FOR PLAYERS LIKE
JOSE JIMENEZ. NOT REALLY GUYS
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN
WITH QUALITY COACHES AND BE
AROUND SUCH GOOD ENVIRONMENT.
IT’S LIKE HAVING THE COMMUNITY
SUPPORT YOU. YOU KNOW, IT’S
REALLY IT’S REALLY MOVING. I
JUST FEEL PROUD. YOU KNOW THE
REASON THAT WE CREATE ALLIANCES
BECAUSE WE WANT TO BRING A
LITTLE BIT OR BEST OPPORTUNITIES
FOR OUR KIDS. THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE GOAL IS CAN WE HELP THE
COMMUNITY CONTINUED TO REDEVELOP
THEIR PARKS IN THE AREA? CAN WE
IMPROVE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN
THE COMMUNITY? ALLEANZA MEANS
THE ALLIANCE, RIGHT? SO THIS IS
ABOUT ABOUT ALL OF US DOWN IN
SOUTHWEST AND EVERYBODY WHO
LOVES THE GAME AND EVERYBODY WHO
WANTS TO GIVE BACK REALLY COMING
AROUND THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY
THAT YOU KNOW, GIVEN A CHANCE.
WE’LL DO AMAZING THINGS.
ALLEANZA FOOTBALL CLUB IS
REINVESTING IN ITS COMMUNITY
RIGHT HERE IN THE HEART OF
DETROIT. JOINING US NOW IS TIM
RITCHIE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF ALLEANZA FC CARLOS HUERTA,
TEAM EXECUTIVE AND JOSE FONSECA
, A PLAYER WITH THE MEXICAN
NATIONAL TEAM. GOOD MORNING TO
ALL OF YOU MORNING. ALRIGHT TIM,
I’M GOING TO START WITH YOU. SO
THE FIRST SEASON WAS IN THE
SPRING. SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE
CLUB HAD A GREAT FIRST SEASON IN
THE SPRING. IT WAS REALLY
EXCITING. WE HAD HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE THAT CAME AND SHOWED UP.
WE RAN A YOUTH SUMMER CAMP THIS
SUMMER, WHICH IS REALLY FUN. WE
GOT YOUNG PEOPLE PLAYING IN
SOUTHWEST DETROIT. WE’RE WORKING
WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SOME
FIELD DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND
OUR FALL SEASON. IS RIGHT AROUND
THE CORNER. SO WE’RE GEARING UP
FOR ANOTHER SEASON HERE IN THE
FALL, WHICH SHOULD BE EXCITING.
OKAY WELL, THIS IS VERY
EXCITING. THIS IS VERY EXCITING
INDEED, BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST
POPULAR SPORT IN THE ENTIRE
WORLD. AND THAT WILL HAVE MORE
OF IT HERE IN DETROIT. CARLOS
YOU HAVE A BIG GAME HAPPENING TO
FIGHT TONIGHT INVOLVING
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS. YOU HELPED
ORGANIZE THIS, SO WHO IS GOING
TO BE IN TOWN AND WHAT’S
HAPPENING? FIRST THINK FOR THE
BIG OPPORTUNITY. PLEASURE
TONIGHT. I’M SO EXCITED BECAUSE
YOU KNOW IT. TALKS ABOUT IT’S
FIVE YEARS TO, YOU KNOW, TO
BRING THE NATIONAL MEXICO TEAM
VERSUS HONDURAS OR TONIGHT IS
GONNA BE HUGE. WE GOT CHICKEN
FONSECA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE
BEST SOCCER PLAYERS AND INTERIOR
WORLD. SO UM, YEAH, IT’S GONNA
BE HUGE. LIKE I SAID, IT TOOK IT
TAKES. I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT A
LOT OF TIME TO DECIDE WHAT TO
DO. AND I HOPE THIS HELPED WITH
, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR NEW IANSA
FC HOPE SO, TOO NOW, JOSE, WHAT
DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT PLAYING THESE
INTERNATIONAL MATCHES? AND WHAT
DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A
WORLD AMBASSADOR FOR SOCCER?
VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN
DETROIT. HMM WITH ALLEANZA FC
TEAM GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITY
STARTS LATE FOR ME, PLEASE
TATI AMARE THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR OUR YOUNG GENERATION TO
SUPPORT THE TEAM.
CONGRATULATIONS. PORTAL THE
PORTAL FOOTBALL. THE LOSS
VICIOSO. CAROL ASSOCIATED, SO
IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU
KNOW, MAKE A BETTER, UH, YOU
KNOW PEOPLE TO HELP OUR KIDS TO
BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE
DRUGS AND ALL THAT. MHM YEAH,
THAT’S AWESOME. UNDERSTOOD ABOUT
HALF OF THAT. I’M WORKING ON MY
SPANISH. NEXT TIME. I’M GOING TO
TALK TO YOU IN SPANIS NEXT
TIME. I’M WORKING ON IT. OKAY
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT L’ANZA IN THE GAME AND THE
OTHER EVENTS TONIGHT IS THE
GAME. SO KICKING FONSEKA, ONE OF
THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD
PLAYING AGAINST HONDURAS. ALL
STAR NATIONAL TEAM WORLD CUP
PLAYERS. THESE GUYS PLAY TONIGHT
AT THE BALLPARK CORNER BALL
PARK, SITE OF OLD TIGER STADIUM
AT SEVEN O’CLOCK. YOU CAN BUY
TICKETS ON ALLEANZA FC DOT COM
OR BUY TICKETS AT THE BALLPARK
FREE PARKING RIGHT NEXT TO THE
STADIUM, BEER, FOOD AND SOME OF
THE BEST FOOTBALLERS IN THE
WORLD IS GOING TO BE FUN. LOVE A
GOOD FOOTBALL GAME, RIGHT? GREAT
TIME. ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU SO