Puerto Rico FC Ready To Embark In International Competition In 2017

Puerto Rico FC wrapped up 2016 with its first piece of silverware. The club was crowned champions of Puerto Rico after winning the first Luis Villarejo Cup.

The club also booked a spot in international competition and will take part in the Caribbean Football Club (CFU) Championship in the new year. A successful run in the tournament could lead to a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL), which is awarded to the top-three teams in the CFU event.

“It’s pretty special,” Puerto Rico FC midfielder Tyler Rudy told NASL.com about a chance to play in the CCL. “I have a lot of friends that I talk to in Major League Soccer right now and when I told them about the situation, they’ve said the times they’ve been in it has been one of the coolest experiences of their career and the ones that haven’t have had the opportunity wish they did.”

Of course, Puerto Rico FC will have to navigate past the teams in the Caribbean region as the first NASL side in international competition since 2012 when the Puerto Rico Islanders finished in third place.

“There’s certain situations we’ll have to learn and adjust to,” noted Rudy before adding, “I think it will help in the NASL season next year.”

Having to get together to play important games at the end of January or February, depending on the start of the CFU Club Championship, gives Puerto Rico FC the benefit to build even more chemistry before the 2017 NASL season after taking part in its first year during the recent Fall Season.

“We want that momentum that other teams may not have,” Rudy said. “We’ll be in earlier for preseason than most other teams and that will be a huge advantage for us. We’ll get the cohesion down early and team unity and it’ll be really important for us to mesh early on and we can use that as an advantage.”

And after a strong finish to 2016, the ball of momentum is already rolling for Puerto Rico FC.

“The whole island can feel the momentum and this team is going to do something special next year,” Rudy said.