Little Rock Rangers set to open USL2 playoffs at home
The Little Rock Rangers professional soccer club has achieved quite a bit this season, but there’s plenty of room and time to accomplish even more.
That quest starts today at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.
The Rangers will make their first postseason appearance since 2018 when they host the AHFC Royals (10-1-1) of Houston in the opening round of the United Soccer League Two playoffs. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m., with the winner earning a spot in the regional final Sunday at 7 p.m. against the survivor of the early matchup between Nona FC (8-2-2) and Texas United (10-0-2).
Sunday’s winner will advance to the USL2 quarterfinals. But for the hometown team, the scenario couldn’t have played out any better.
“Oh man, this is such a big thing for us,” Rangers Coach Adriano Versari said. “[Playoffs] were something that we had planned and talked about at the beginning of the season. It was one of our goals, and we wanted to make sure the city had extra games to enjoy at a high level.
“And just achieving that accomplishment is a great joy for us. There’s a great sense of pride because we worked together from the very start, and we want to finish the best way we can.”
Finishing strong is certainly paramount for the Rangers (8-2-2), who’ve notched significant milestones throughout the season under their firstyear coach.
Versari, who took over the team in November 2022 after stints with Corpus Christi FC and Calvary Soccer, led the team to a USL2 ranking earlier this month for the first time since joining the association in 2021. Also, the Rangers’ eight victories are the most they’ve had in a regular season since the team was founded in 2016.
“Planning and recruiting have been key,” Versari said. “League Two is a short, intense season that lasts 2 1/2 to 3 months, but the preparation starts in November, particularly for recruiting. We wanted to make sure we put together a very good, quality team, one that was willing to work hard and overcome obstacles together.
“That was the message that was in place from the beginning. So we recruited players with the same mindset, same character, same personality traits. We lost just a couple of players during the season, but everyone else has been on board and has bought in to what we’ve set out to do from the very start.”
What the Rangers have done is overwhelm other clubs in the Mid-South Division for the majority of the season. They finished second to Texas United, and their plus-35 goal differential is tied for second best in the entire USL2.
According to Versari, the team’s collaborative effort, spearheaded by defender Nick Doyle, has been one of the primary reasons why the team has ascended.
“He’s our captain and has been with the Rangers since Day 1,” Versari said of his 30-year-old leader. “He had an injury last year, but I needed his leadership and experience. Nick’s like a liaison between the coaching staff and the team, and he’s been performing outstandingly. We weren’t sure if he was going to play any minutes at the beginning of the season, but he’s now one of the guys that’s played the most minutes.
“To be honest, I’m really surprised by all of our players. I’ve been positively impressed by all that have come from all around the world and spent the summer playing here. The local players, too, that wanted the challenge, wanted to learn and wanted to get better. … they’ve just been fantastic for us. It’s truly been teamwork from all that’s driven us to this point.”
If the Rangers are going to roll into Sunday’s regional final, they’re going to have to skate past a formidable opponent today.
The Royals have outscored teams 33-11 and rolled to the Lone Star Division title.
“I know their coach,” Versari said. “[James Clarkson] has coached at every level, and he’s put together a very competitive and well-organized team that will give us a tough match. They’ve got a lot of talent from Houston and have recruited some really good players from all over the country like we did.
“That team likes to press, and they defend well. So it’s gonna be tough to beat them. But for us, we’ve got to continue to believe in ourselves and what we’ve done up until now. I told my players that we’re on the verge of doing some very special, and hopefully we can keep playing as well as we have.”