Shamrock's road to their Leicesterous season

By Ralph Chery

December 17, 2016

                    Shamrock SC players celebrating Alejandro Fritz's game-winning goal against Doxa SC at St. Michael's Playground on                                                 Nov. 19th. Photo by Dennis Schneider/ NY Shamrocks Images

Leicester City did the unthinkable last season in the Premier League, winning the title in their second season back in the top flight. On their way there, they had the most points after the first half of the season.

A year later, 3, 399 miles away, four flights down from the United States' top soccer division, Shamrock SC pulled off a Leicester after the first half of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. They tallied the most points in the CSL's top division during their second season back there going into the winter break--in a league where, in the past five years, only one team didn't finish last in the standings in their sophomore season back in the top flight, Manhattan Celtic. 

Shamrock team administrator John Riordan views the team's position as an indicator of the arduous work of the coaches and the players.

"We're only halfway through the season so the current position of the first team in the standings is nothing more than a fair reflection of all the work put in by the coaches and the players," Riordan said.

Before making it to Division 1 last season, Shamrock spent 10 years in the lower divisions, one year in Metro 2 (2005-06), three seasons in Metro 1 (2006-2009) and six years in the second division. Riordan is one of the few current club members who was with the Rocks when they were in Division 2.

                    Shamrock SC first team administrator and second team head coach John Riordan. Photo by Dennis Schneider/ NY                                                        Shamrocks Images 

Riordan credited the club's president and the former coaches for Shamrock's rise to Division 1. 

"It's very much down to the hard work of coaches such as the late Robbie Walsh and also Glen Wrafter, who took us up from Division 2 before very graciously handing the reins over to Kevin Grogan," the administrator said. 

Walsh had the idea of dropping the team to the last division, Metro 2, when the club didn’t have enough players to compete in Division 2 in 2005. Although some members left the club, Walsh led the team to a Metro 2 title and a promotion to Metro 1.

"There was also huge work behind the scenes from the likes of our club president Sean McMullan, vice president Pat Burke," Riordan continued, "our previous president Kevin McPartland and all the rest of the committee members who have worked tirelessly over the course of a decade to get the club back into the top flight."

Before the Rocks reached the first division in 2015, four of the last seven times a team was promoted to Division 1 the team was relegated that same season. Riordan understood the difficulty of staying in the top flight last year.

"Gaining promotion was not easy but the challenge to stay up was always going to be ten times harder," Riordan said. "The gap between the divisions is enormous and many teams have gone up and back down in quick succession. We were determined to not let that happen so in the summer of 2015, Glen Wrafter and I discussed our plans with Kevin [Grogan]. His expertise and experience is unmatched and he was our number one choice to meet this challenge."  

Not only did the former Manchester United youth player, Grogan, managed to keep the Rocks in the CSL's elite league but he also led them to the best season a promoted side had since 2010 as Shamrock finished last season in fifth place with 21 points.

After finishing fifth last year, the Irish based club has been on top the league since Week 2 this season. Center back and team captain, Zachary Gosse--the Wes Morgan of Shamrock--explained that the experience they gained from playing together last year and the adding of new players are the main reasons of their current success.  

"Last year was our first season playing together for most of us," Gosse said. "Now with a year of top flight football under our belts, the addition of several quality players, and the resounding support of our club, we've really come together as a unit."

                  Shamrock SC skipper Zachary Gosse. Photo by Dennis Schneider/ NY Shamrocks Images

The league toppers added seven players to their roster this season. 75 percent of the Rocks' goal tally this season were scored by their new signings. 

Shamrock SC Topscorers 2016-17

Source: NY Shamrocks SC

Leicester ended up winning the Premier League last season. More odds are in favor for Shamrock to snatch their first CSL title, in two of the past three seasons, the team who was at the top of the table going into the break won the league, Lansdowne Bhoys in 2015-16 and 2013-14.  When asked if Shamrock will repeat history this season and win the league, Riordan emphasized that at this point of the season, they're focused on making the playoffs first.

"Lansdowne are three-in-a-row champions for a reason and the rest of the teams in the division must focus on trying to make the playoffs. It really doesn't matter who is where in December," the administrator said. "Coach Grogan has told his players that reaching the playoffs is the goal and every team in the top four - whether they are first or fourth - must try to stay ahead of the other six teams. There is a lot of competition which makes it very enjoyable to be involved in. So far, so good but the real test of where we are starts in March."