Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
Soccer is at the height of its popularity in the states with the 2026 World Cup being hosted on North American soil. Team USA advanced to the round of 16 in stylish fashion, sparking a new generation of American soccer fans. Some have dubbed this as one of the most exciting tournaments in a long time. Capitalizing on the momentum of the beautiful game is the Devine Soccer club, however the club didn’t appear with the World cup, this organization has been in the works for over two years now.
Club president Pablo Carmona wanted to bring soccer to Devine and with the persistence of numerous supporters and the backing from city council, he was able to make this a reality. The club has already developed two soccer fields and is currently working on a third to host games in the near future.
Carmona wants to offer athletes a chance to continue their soccer journeys past 6th grade while potentially opening opportunities to further their careers whether it be through scholarship or professionally. Carmona says they are wasting the potential of these young athletes by having them drop soccer in the midst of their formative years.
Carmona isn’t looking to “re-invent the soccer wheel”, he wants to bring the development practices he’s seen from elite programs to Devine. The main focus is to develop the young talent here in Devine then pitting them against teams all over South Texas. Professional soccer player Mohammed Abu and professional trainer Oscar Garcia (also a former professional player) serve on the board of directors for the club to help ensure the proper steps are taken in building a sustainable and successful program. Carmona wants to follow the examples of larger clubs, so having professionals involved helps expedite the process of bringing the soccer athletes up to standard.
Carmona wants to supply the community with an outlet to compete at a high level outside of recreational play, because ultimately the team is for the people of Devine. In the past, Carmona said they’ve had to travel to San Antonio, La Vernia and Canyon Lake to find playable fields, but now players won’t have to go far to get some shots at the net!
He’s excited to play soccer at the height of its popularity but wants to make sure that excitement and investment people have in the sport continues beyond the world cup.
The Devine soccer club will be hosting a food drive training clinic on July 11 and 25 at John Curcio Park here in Devine. The event will include field and goalie training with ages 5-11 starting at 10 A.M to 11 A.M. and ages 12-18 beginning at 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. The camp will be led by Mohammed Abu and Oscar Garcia.
The Devine ISD soccer camp divided the kids into three different age groups. The oldest of the kids were tasked with dribbling balls around a line of cones. Photo by Moose Lopez.
The youngest group of participants had a scrimmage against each other rather than a specific drill. Photo by Moose Lopez.