Sol’s president resigns position
GM Espinoza to step in on interim basis for team’s fifth soccer season
The Albuquerque Sol announced that team President Ron Patel is resigning from his role effective immediately — at a time the club is growing and “in a really good place.”
Patel said Wednesday he is resigning to pursue an undisclosed new business project in the Albuquerque community.
“I’m proud of the team on and off the field,” he said. “I feel like we’ve reached a tipping point.”
Sol GM Larry Espinoza will serve as the interim president this coming season. The Sol will also lean on other team members to support the operational and marketing tasks including
gameday operations manager Fred Williams and logistics coordinator Dave Sullivan.
“We have good people who have learned how we run things from the beginning,” Espinoza said. “We have the capacity. A lot of it is just going to require them to step up their involvement.”
Entering its fifth season, the Albuquerque Sol club competes in the Premier Development League, the fourth division of American professional soccer.
Patel and Espinoza cited the record participation at team tryouts in January, the scarf release party and a FootGolf event over the last weekend as evidence of the club’s energy. The Sol also is ahead of last year’s pace for season tickets.
“The Sol is at a point, it’s sustainable, and we’ve proven that it is here to stay,” Patel said. “All signs point to a really good year. The future is going to be bright.”
Espinoza said the organization “will survive and continue to move forward. We’ve known what to do. A lot of it just becomes a matter of pulling people into different roles and dividing the work load.”
Sol midfielder Pat Pacheco has played for the team since its inception. He expressed admiration for Patel’s commitment to player welfare, noting that Patel helped him with a job search.
Pacheco recalled a training session at St. Pius High two years ago. The team was filming commercials that day. Patel kicked the ball around with the players and asked tactical questions about the sport.
“He tries to be there and get to know players and their situations,” Pacheco said. “He’s always been open to helping you in any way you can. It shows he has personal interest in you individually, not just as a soccer player.”