By Ryan Makuch
With a month of experience under their collective belts, we reached out to chat with every assistant coach to hear from them about what they have seen and how they have felt to this point.
The men’s staff is headed by Rod Asllani in his first year as head coach. Previously, Asllani served as an assistant coach on the men’s staff under current club Sporting Director Eric Rudland (then Men’s Head Coach) as the team romped to a postseason appearance in each season Asllani (and Rudland) took part in.
Dan Trosper
Trosper on the sidelines of The Mighty Oak’s home opening 5-0 victory over Oakland County FC.
Trosper has been applying his coaching trade for well over 20 years. “The reputation that was built by Eric as a coach and now a sporting director is huge. I’ve also known Rod for a while now as a friend and peer,” said Trosper, in regards to what appealed to him most about linking up with AFCAA. He hailed the club’s determination to do right for its players, saying, “It’s a professional environment looking to create the best pathway for players to become professionals as they grow in their careers.” Trosper also has enjoyed the atmosphere in conjunction with the playing challenges, saying, “It’s a constant puzzle to learn each player’s playing discipline, and what we would like them to grow into. Include this, with the way we envision our possession-based philosophy being played. It’s an awesome challenge that has great supporters behind it.”
Thus far in the season, Trosper has most enjoyed “learning the qualities that each player brings to each session.” “Watching them grow in each session and work on becoming professionals is inspiring,” he would say. He has also enjoyed the working relationship that the coaches have had together. “We are all different types of people with cultural backgrounds, educational backgrounds, and playing backgrounds.”
Kenny Vasquez
Vasquez in action with The Mighty Oak in 2018.
Vasquez is a man that those who have followed The Mighty Oak will already know, having donned the colors of AFCAA on the pitch previously. Vasquez featured in the side throughout the 2018 season, making appearances in the NPSL and Michigan Milk Cup. “I was already very familiar with this particular AFCAA staff, people who share similar passions and drive for not only soccer but the Mighty Oak community as a whole,” he said. “Seeing the quality from the players that came as each week passed only confirmed to me that the club has maintained a firm and passionate philosophy to the game, as well as kept an eye out for talent that would build up and keep to such a philosophy.”
Vasquez has enjoyed learning from his coaching peers as well as those players that he is coaching. “The opportunity to expand my utility and wisdom as a coach is something of a continuing study for me, and is a practice that I think can be nurtured greatly here,” he shared. He also noted the appreciation for seeing the diversity of backgrounds within the squad. “It's always great for the soul of a team to have equal parts passion, dedication, and chemistry at the forefront of each and every training, event, and game,” he would say. “I see that with this group and makes for quite the promising season!”
Lucian Popescu
Popsecu, pictured here, has over a decade of top-level high-school head-coaching experience, and is charged with leading this year’s batch of men’s keepers.
Popescu serves primarily as the goalkeeper’s coach on the men’s staff. Popescu also has over ten years of experience as a head coach for Michigan high school powerhouse Greenhills. Popescu summed up his experiences thus far beautifully: “During a long coaching career every new season, including the one at AFCAA, I have always enjoyed the process to build the team step by step, teach the specific game model, know each individual player, learn the players' strengths, work with the coaching staff on a daily basis to refine our way of play, overcome the challenges, learn from our mistakes, and celebrate our success. I am fortunate indeed to have a job like this.”
Popescu cited familiarity with the club’s successes and his knowledge of Men’s Sporting Director Rudland (for over 20 years) and Men’s Head Coach Asllani in more recent years as driving factors for his joining the club. “I think that the passion for the beautiful sport of football of all the members of the organization and the competence of the coaching staff are important parts of the success at AFC Ann Arbor,” he said.
“At this level, where most of our players have dreams to play professional football, I love to be able to help them and watch them reach their dreams, achieve their goals, and put together all their individual talent into a fantastic team that plays the beautiful game of football and makes our fans happy,” he eloquently stated.
The women’s staff is headed by first-year head coach Boyzzz Khumalo. Khumalo was also a part of that staff with Asllani for the AFCAA men’s team.
Victor Plase
Plase, pictured here, has a wealth of experience as several age levels, both as a head coach and an assistant.
Plase has years of experience as a head coach on the men’s and women’s high school levels, as well as over a myriad of age ranges at the academy level. Plase has enjoyed working with and getting to know the athletes as an individual while interacting with them on a more personal level. He would also share that the togetherness of AFCAA is what was the primary alluring factor for him, in addition to the collective love of community within the club.
Plase has also been appreciative of the skill level of the side, saying, “I’ve enjoyed the competitive levels of training we are able to create for the athletes, and them receiving it well.” He also shared in his joy working alongside this staff, saying, “I’ve also enjoyed working with this coaching staff to constantly pick each other’s brains and learn from one another. And of course, working with Boyzzz to see how his brain works day to day has been nothing but brilliant!”
Adrian Motta
Motta in action with AFCAA in a 2017 contest.
Motta is another former AFC Ann Arbor player that has returned to coach the next generation of The Mighty Oak. Motta, himself a former goalkeeper, has been tasked also with the role of goalkeeper’s coach for this season’s side. Motta spent 2017 with The Mighty Oak and was also named an assistant coach ahead of the ill-fated 2020 season. Motta has thoroughly enjoyed his time thus far with the club, saying, “I think every day about how grateful I am to have this opportunity.”
Motta has also enjoyed what he calls a “mutual understanding” with the entire organization. “We all want to get the most out of every moment we are here,” he would say. “Players, staff, and fans give everything they possess to the club when they are present–the players especially.” Motta expressed how impressed he was with the quality of the side, and he has enjoyed the expectations that have been often self-imposed by the players themselves to maintain that high level. “[It] keeps the level high and pushes us as a staff to stay sharp, he would say.
This season’s women’s staff also features Olivia Brannon in a player-coach role. Brannon is the first woman to serve as a coach for The Mighty Oak, and she is also the first-ever player coach in AFCAA history to play a full 90 minutes in any match.
In her player-coach individual announcement, Brannon had this (and more that you can view via the link above) to say: “Since this is my first season with AFCAA and in the league, I want to continue to learn and grow as a player and coach. I want the best outcome for our team and to help each woman in achieving their personal goals. And, of course, I want to win.”
Not just a mentor to her teammates with AFCAA, dozens of Brannon’s (not pictured) youth players came out to show support for their coach, who also just so happens to be a player, too!
Since we last spoke to Brannon, she has established herself as an integral part of The Mighty Oak’s defensive effort. Brannon currently sits fourth in minutes played over the season, this in spite of missing a full 90 minutes against Indy Eleven. Brannon returned to the side to play a key role in the 1-0 victory over Detroit City FC, three points earned thanks to a late winner from Lina Berrah.
Throughout this first month of the season, it is quite evident that the spirit of The Mighty Oak is being helped along by both of these coaching staff, through their hard work on and off the pitch.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!