Idaho’s first professional men’s soccer team, Athletic Club Boise is set to play its inaugural match this weekend.
The team has been keeping busy training in San Diego ahead of the season opener in Florida against Sarasota Paradise Saturday.
“You only get one preseason, so right now we're in work mode,” said head coach Nate Miller at a press day in February. AC Boise's roster, he said, reflects soccer's global influence.
“Players are used to being in very multicultural international locker rooms. We have a very diverse team,” Miller added. “We've got guys from anywhere from Ukraine, South Africa, Kenya, all over the country in the U.S. as well. So it's just a fun environment.”
Only one AC Boise player is from Idaho: Eagle native, midfielder Blake Bodily who used to play for the Portland Timbers and the United Soccer League teams in San Diego and Tampa Bay. The rest of the team, like midfielder Philip Mayaka from Nairobi, are new to the Gem State.
“I feel like it's a good state,” Mayaka said. “ I'm happy to be around friendly people.”
Many of the newcomers mentioned Boise’s foothills and looking forward to exploring what the town has to offer.
“From the training field, you can see the mountains,” Mayaka added, and it's actually like, it's vibing a lot,”
The first home game will be Saturday, April 4, against the Spokane Velocity FC at the newly renovated stadium, the Park at Expo Idaho.
