My personal Shire United jersey is Kellamon 131. Kell is my favorite halfling character. Over many years of play Kell has existed in many classes and campaign settings. He’s always loyal, always friendly and always underestimated. The 131 well, that’s a special birthday that had to be honored.
Kellamon Sqoques felt like the perfect character to represent while sponsoring Shire United in ECS Pub League. Because my friends are always underestimated and always loyal.
They play soccer horribly.
Soccer isn’t the point of Pub League — bonding together over a ball and the struggle to play is. That’s why I’m a proud multi-year sponsor going back to my time running Sounder at Heart (they still sponsor).
My friends at Pub League continue to make wild jerseys that we’ll never sell. As long as they need a few dollars I’ll toss them their way.
Being able to support my friends who do fun stuff is good. ECS continues to run Pub League, a simple barely competitive set of two soccer leagues full of joy that embraces everyone. Once upon a time I sponsored them while I managed Sounder at Heart. Then I stopped because I didn’t manage Sounder at Heart. A year ago they had an empty slot that needed a sponsor. I was able to and that was when my team was a group of pirates. Last fall it was vampires.
Now it’s the Almost Full 90 FC, inspired by the era when I was a teen with Trapper Keepers and Peechees playing D&D hiding my inner nerd behind pastels (including my jeans).
Every player name is inspired by 90s era TV shows, songs and memes (we had those back then).
Coaches: Bop it Throw it Pass it, That’s Brisk Baby, and Eat My Shorts
Players: WHAT’S THE 411, COOPER, FRESH PRINCE OF DEFENSE, SPORTY SPICE, FOOTBALL HEAD, THAT’S BRISK BABY, I DID NOT INHALE, EAT MY SHORTS, ON A BREAK, BOP IT THROW IT PASS IT, DOCTOR, BEANIE BABE, REPTAR ON TURF, TRUNCHBULL, D’OH!’, MIDAS, YOU’VE GOT MAIL, STREET SOCCER, TOO YOUNG FOR THIS, UGH, AS IF!, NEVERMIND, NON BLONDES.
I’m telling you, they’re going to win the ‘ship.
There’s a couple other cool bits. The Captain’s armband is inspired by iconic frogs from the era and unlike most soccer jerseys these days, the back is similar to the front — with a unicorn.
As always, the lesson from this is to support your friends when they do rad things. It’s totally awesome.
I went and sponsored a soccer team. It’s a pub league team with several friends I met through Sounders soccer. Rather than advertise my soccer blog they all know about already I put the logo for Full Moon Storytelling on their kits. And then I offered to make any of them an Adventurer’s League legal character that represents some of their favorite soccer players and themselves.
A character sheet in Dungeons & Dragons is a story told in short hand.
With Passive Aggression, one of the first things I wanted to do was have a little honey badger companion (in Reroll I used a cat). Ozzie Alonso was Seattle’s honey badger for so long that I must, must honor him. The player who submitted their favorite players requested a minotaur, which also suits Alonso well. It is easy to imagine Alonso lowering his head and charging through someone.
The other guidance is the maestro Luka Modrić. Ranger helped with this, because the bit of magic makes sense. Luka is one of the more technical players in the world, with the titles and individual recognition that makes sense. When the player is that exceptional only magic makes sense. Zephyr Strike seemed perfect for that representation.
I chose the subclass Gloom Stalker because of the Our Flag Means Offside FC player sees themselves as someone who can be a support player across the battlefield, Entangle and Dread Ambuser helped capture that story
Here’s the story I was trying to tell with Izzy Handball.
Roger Levesque is a legendary Sounder, from the time before they were in MLS. He also puts on a great pirate impression. Pelé is the world’s greatest player, ever. Young people please don’t come at me with your modern faves — Izzy Handball will slay you.
Combining a cult legend and the world’s greatest was a fun challenge. I started with the pirate, which meant Swashbuckler Rogue, which also fits Pelé’s personality. He loved to go one-on-one, or one-on-four, whatever. Dual-wielding swords made sense because Pelé would strike rapidly, constantly and with both feet.
A wood elf was chosen to further lean into Pelé’s pace, his fey ancestry and his charm.
With both of the soccer players the Folk Hero made sense. Whether form the streets of Brazil or the artificial turf of Starfire, Levesque and Pelé became legends with tales growing taller every year.
I went and sponsored a soccer team. It’s a pub league team with several friends I met through Sounders soccer. Rather than advertise my soccer blog they all know about already I put the logo for Full Moon Storytelling on their kits. And then I offered to make any of them an Adventurer’s League legal character that represents some of their favorite soccer players and themselves.
A character sheet in Dungeons & Dragons is a story told in short hand.
Here’s the story I was trying to tell with Davy Jones — the name on the back of one of the players’ shirts. I didn’t look up the real players to build these. I did use their soccer-name as inspiration.
The soccer players provided in the prompt questions were Fredy Montero, DeAndre Yedlin, Zlatan. In some of the prompts there were references to Jessica Jones and Ljósálfar.
D&D is an imperfect way to represent these things. My attempts here are to capture the vibes of a potent showperson, a striker from distance and a stout defender. An Aasimar is more similar to the light elves of Nordic legend than the current version of D&D, plus that helps add more magic to Davy Jones — Zlatan has to have magic, so does Fredy “Golden God” Montero.
It was Fredy that helped the lean towards Paladin, as well as the Jessica Jones mention. Jones helped the decision towards Oath of Vengeance. Having Compelled Duel was another touch point towards Zlatan.
With DeAndre Yedlin still to be incorporated the Background choice was obvious — Folk Hero. Yedlin was the first MLS Sounder to rise from the Academy, the first to play in the World Cup because of their performance as a Sounder and the first to be sold to Europe. He’s a legend in his home town, and so is Davy Jones.
Each skill, weapon, spell is chosen to emphasize the combination of mystical striker, bewitching technique and the willingness to be a stout defender.
David Estrada retired from professional soccer after eleven years in the game. Last week’s news wasn’t too surprising, this year he played 500 minutes with only 3 starts, scoring 1 goal. Over his career he amassed nearly 16,000 minutes played winning two U.S. Open Cups while playing for nine different teams after being drafted by the Seattle Sounders. His career as a player ends with New Mexico United.
Thank you for everything David. You've made an immeasurable impact everywhere you've gone, and we can't wait to be part of your next chapter! #SomosUnidos
What will continue is more important than any of his 39 goals scored across MLS, NASL, USL Championship, the Open Cup, and Concacaf Champions League – Estrada continues on with New Mexico United helping them in community outreach.
I first met Estrada back in 2010, after he was drafted. Little did I know that when he spoke to Sounder at Heart about his work with Hope Place that I was meeting the real David Estrada. There had been a large hint at who he is after his St. Hattrick’s Day performance back in 2012, as well.
(On what his grandfather means to him and why he used him in his celebration…) “I never met him, but he is a big influence in my family and me playing soccer. He is big time in my life. I never met him, but he is just so important to me and my family. My extended family back home plays for a Sunday league team named after him. So using him in my celebration is like a double meaning between playing with my family and playing here with the Sounders.”
After drifting around with several clubs scattered around the USA, Estrada came back as a senior leader with Sounders 2 in their first season down at Cheney Stadium. He surged forth to score 11 goals, by far his best year. David’s leadership of the very young team was vital. He demonstrated professionalism to a bunch of teenagers, and they came to be more than teammates to him. At his return the group sought him out.
In his first match against the squad he captained Estrada posed with his old teammates.
Photo Courtesy of Charis Wilson / Seattle Sounders FC & Tacoma Defiance
David taught those kids, now young me, more than just soccer.
This is what David Estrada needs to be known for – not St Hattricks Day, not his long pro career, not 11 goals on S2. Estrada needs to be known for the work he did in the community. It was often quiet here in Seattle. Never on a big money contract David’s work was work. He lived with a spirit of giving and caring.
That’s what he’ll remain doing with New Mexico, after winning recognition as their humanitarian of the year in their first two seasons. It’s also what he did with the kids around Tacoma and Seattle even after leaving the area.
Estrada gives Alec Diaz friendly tap post-game. Photo courtesy of Charis Wilson / Sounders FC and Tacoma Defiance.
He also paid attention to his old teammates, caring about their success. He paid attention to them. Defiance players weren’t just former coworkers.
Estrada’s kindness and care was evident when I reached out to him about Jesse Daley moving on to his hometown club – Brisbane Roar. David didn’t just share a great statement about Daley, he wanted to know that it was a good move – it is.
Way, way back – before Estrada was drafted – former Sounders Academy Director Darren Sawatzky told me that more important than developing good soccer players he had to make certain to develop good men. Those that have followed Sawatzky in the role, Marc Nichols and Chris Little, have echoed and amplified those statements. With Defiance in the org maybe 25% or so of an age group will become pro soccer players. The rest will get opportunities in schooling, maybe go onto coaching.
They will all be Sounders.
People like David Estrada, and recently retired Lamar Neagle, can show that the sport of soccer is just a path to being a good man. The game gave them a platform. With that platform any player, from Academy to star, can help the people around them. They can read books on a video chat with kids thousands of miles away, help plant trees, join a neighborhood center for a pickup game, deliver food, and so much more.
David did that. He’s much more than 39 pro goals and 16,000 minutes. He’s the type of man that every young player should dream of being. The state of New Mexico is fortunate to retain the services of David Estrada. He is once, and always, a Sounder. He’s also a kid from Salinas, a Bruin, and so much more.
His pro soccer career is over, but New Mexico United is right – Estrada’s just getting started.
The pandemic was rough for Tacoma Defiance. Players in the USL bubble couldn’t practice with the Seattle Sounders. Players in the MLS bubble couldn’t play for Defiance, unless loaned for the entirety of the season – Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Ethan Dobbeleare were, eventually.
Defiance also lost a few home games as the Seattle Mariners used Cheney Stadium for their alternate training site. Still, the squad toughed it out. In fact, they came out of the restart 2-0-1, looking like just maybe things could be magical.
Eventually the losses of 7 players to the First Team, and the transfer of Jesse Daley (The Defiant 2019) to Brisbane Roar, over the past two seasons caught up to Tacoma, who finished third in the group.
Without their best who stood out as The Defiant of 2020, that player who best represents the spirit of Tacoma and Defiance more than anyone to wear the crest? [insert drumroll]
Ray Serrano
In 2020, this bizarre year, Ray Serrano turned into a goal dangerous threat. At 17 he had 3 goals scored on the season, tied for second on the squad with Chino Perez and Danny Robles.
Photo courtesy of Charis Wilson – Sounders FC/Tacoma Defiance
His first goal of the year cemented a come-from-behind draw to take points against Sacramento Republic in Sac. That was the first time for Defiance to take down the giants and future MLS side.
Over the season he developed a more aggressive approach to his game. Slicing his way through defenses he looked to become a goal-dangerous winger, not just a flair player. The assertive and artistic style is perfect for someone wearing the Black Ink and Green of Tacoma.
Starting the year as the youngest player on the roster Ray Serrano built himself up from infrequent sub into regular starter. Six of his first seven appearances were as a sub. By the end of the year Ray had a stretch with five starts in a row, including three times going a full 90 in a year where the usage of five subs meant that was a quite rare event for attacking players. Serrano’s hard work in practice is emblematic of what Tacoma expects from its people.
Last year after winning the Development Academy Western Conference Best XI he said that he wanted to win it again. Ray didn’t get that opportunity, because in the year he turned 18 he played too frequently on the professional side.
Whenever 2021 starts, Serrano looks certain to be a regular with Tacoma. He will be just 18 and have 989 competitive minutes under his belt.
Honorable Mentions
Other considerations were for Alec Diaz, who lead the squad in scoring with six goals and Sam Rogers whose value was demonstrated through his absence as he worked on transferring to a team in Spain. They were the Attacking Player of 2020 and the Defensive Player of 2020 respectively.
The Defiant by matchday polling
Diaz 3
Rogers 2.5
Serrano 2
Cissoko 1
Daley 1
Dhillon 1
Dobbeleare 1
Gonzalez 1
Herrera 1
Klenofsky 1
Fernandez .5
Ocampo-Chavez .5
Reynolds .5
Danny Robles and Taylor Mueller didn’t win The Defiant for a specific match, but they were frequently finalists for the award.
Robles showed flexibility that he can be a strong 8 as well as a dynamic 10. Mueller’s defense and leadership were vital in a season so frequently damaged by matches rescheduled due to the pandemic and wildfires.
Full Moon Storytelling 